


Teacher, Teacher Redux

by OmniscientProstitute



Category: Gravity Falls, ParaNorman (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, Body Modification, Fluff and Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:54:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 35,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24493825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OmniscientProstitute/pseuds/OmniscientProstitute
Summary: Norman was asked to fill a temporary position teaching art at the school Neil works at. He was expecting the students to be the most difficult part, not a potential relationship.*The original Teacher, Teacher was written 23 August 2016. This is a rewrite that will have the same story beats, but written after three years of studying to be an English Major. I hope to maintain the same feel, but enhance the story telling.*
Relationships: Norman Babcock/Dipper Pines
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

Norman sat at his giant desk, surveying his new classroom with a mixture of satisfaction and trepidation. Soon his room would be filled with high school students, and if the kids today were anything like the kids from his high school, they would either accept him or make his life hell. First impressions were pivotal, so Norman had carefully gone through all of his personal artwork and posters in order to curate a space that both reflected Norman and wouldn’t terrify students. Art prints by Salvador Dali, Goya, Andy Warhol, Mark Bradford, and Keith Haring were broken up by paintings Norman had done himself. They were mostly from projects he had done during Art School, but he also included a few from his time as a tattoo artist. Peering at his collection of art, freshly cleaned paintbrushes, and organized markers, crayons, pencil, and pastels, Norman thanked whatever forces existed in the universe for very liberal high schools located in the woods of Oregon that needed a temporary art teacher, and that Norman had a friend who worked their. 

“Knock knock.” Neil stuck his curly head of red hair into the classroom. “Ready for your first day.” Norman met Neil through tutoring for a required math class that made Norman want to crush his calculator between his teeth. They had remained in contact after the tutoring finished and slowly became good friends, living together during junior and senior years. “The welcome assembly starts in thirty minutes, figured we could walk down together.”

“How do these assemblies normally go?” Norman stood up patting down his newly bought dress pants and black button down shirt. The dress code was probably going to be the thing that he struggled with the most. Since the age of sixteen Norman had existed in jeans, graphic tees, tank tops, and hoodies. Luckily, he was able to wear his classic Chucks instead of having to buy expensive business shoes.

“It’s normally pretty short. Stan will say something that’s supposed to be uplifting and motivating but won’t come off that way. The student body president will give a short speech, then the band and choir will do the school song before everyone goes to class.” Neil led Norman down a few halls and stairwells toward the other side of the building. 

The teachers were gathered around rows of folding chairs positioned at the bottom of the bright orange bleachers. Norman figured he’d grab a chair and wait, but Neil started steering him into the fray. “Introductions. I’m not letting you work here and not make any friends, even if it’s a temporary position.” Norman sighed and prepared to put on his “nice-to-meet-you” face. “Everyone’s super nice.” Norman rolled his eyes. Someone could spit in Neil’s face, and he’d still consider them a nice person. 

Over approximately ten minutes, Norman was introduced to almost everyone on the staff. A petite blue-haired woman named Coraline was in charge of the English department. Pacifica, a blonde woman who looked more like a model than a political science and economics teacher. The physical education teacher, Soos, was almost as tall as Norman and had a similar optimistic and see-the-best-in-everyone attitude as Neil. Wendy, the red-headed shop teacher, was the last one in the group. Neil had been right about everyone being nice. They quickly welcomed Norman into their conversation, asking questions that showed interest but weren’t overly prodding. 

“Has anybody heard from the Pines?” Wendy asked. “I was surprised that he wasn’t already here when I came in this morning.”

“I haven’t heard anything from Mabel.” Pacifica pulled her phone from the folds of her skirt. “Last night Dipper was being weird, but no different than usual.”

Norman nudged Neil with his elbow and raised an eyebrow. “Mabel and Dipper are twins. Mabel does Home Ec and health. Dipper teaches history. Dipper’s kind of anal about-”

“-everything.” Coraline interjected. “The man makes lists about what lists he needs to make. It’s weird that he hasn’t shown up yet, but Mabel isn’t here either so I’m not too concerned. If it was just Dipper, then it would be time to panic.” Norman nodded along, pretending like he fully understood what his new co-workers were talking about. 

The students started coming in before either of the Pines siblings showed up, so Norman was left with that mystery unsolved. He sat in his chair next to Neil watching the students come in. The freshman immediately went to their section and sat almost silently. The upperclassmen walked in with more confidence, greeting favorite teachers and lounging on the bleachers with ease. “Are you ready to terrify a bunch of teenagers?” Coraline had turned around in her seat in front of Norman. 

“I am supposed to be the cool new art teacher, aren’t I?” Norman rubbed his decorated hands together. “I’m probably going to get calls from upset parents. Can’t wait.” Coraline laughed, turning around as Principle Stan stepped up to the podium.

\----------

Norman strolled back to his classroom among a flood of students. He could feel eyes on him, and he couldn’t help himself from smirking slightly. He’d only be interesting for a couple of weeks, then the tall, tattooed, pierced, art teacher would be yesterday's news, just like any other new kid. The new toy will always be replaced by something else eventually. 

There were students already seated at the tall square tables when Norman entered. He smiled casually to the students as he went to find the syllabus for the introduction to art class in his desk. By the time the starting bell started almost every seat was filled. Norman took a breath and started passing out the syllabus.”My name is Norman Babcock.” He anticipated the snickering. “Feel free to call me Norman, Mr. Babcock, Tall Dude.” He ended up back at the front of the classroom, leaning against the blackboard that still proudly fronted the classroom. “I grew up in Massachusetts, went to college with Mr. Downe at Boston University, worked at a tattoo parlor for six years before ending up here in front of you.” Norman scanned the class before putting his hands in his pockets. “Any questions before we move onto the course outline?” Norman gave that speech four times-- intro to art, drawing and painting, sculpture, and illustration--and got the same handful of questions mostly revolving around his tattoos and piercings, as well as a couple regarding Neil in college. Norman was careful when answering all of these questions.

\----------

Norman was pleasantly exhausted by the time he returned home, a one bedroom apartment located in the larger city about thirty minutes away from Gravity Falls. He dropped the pizza he ordered on his way home onto his couch as he walked toward his bedroom. The button up shirt and slacks hadn’t been the worst thing in the world, but after the long first day he wanted to lounge on the couch in his black basketball shorts and over-sized Evil Dead tank top. He was going to be taking advantage of casual Fridays. Not that he was going to be wearing slacks and a dress shirt outside of special school occasions. Before heading across the country, his sister and mother had provided him with plenty of dark colored sweaters and long-sleeved shirts that he could wear to work. They had both been shocked about the sudden career change but supportive nonetheless. He had applied for the position at Gravity Falls High School as a favor for Neil, but also thought it would be a cool thing to try. At the very least he could use it as a good fun fact and story. After he had been hired for the position, Norman had asked Neil for a crash course in teaching and based everything he did off of that thirty minute Skype call. He had no idea how successful he would be. He was most anxious about making sure the Seniors got what they needed before going to college. He was lucky that he still had most of his college art textbooks to pull stuff from. There was some hope for the semester.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper's Perspective.
> 
> What was going on with Dipper and Mabel on the first day of school.

Dipper was trying not to rip the hair out of his head. He and Mabel should have left for the school an hour ago.It was the first day of the school year, and Dipper still needed to make sure his classroom was in order before the students could see it. “Relax, Bro Bro.” Mabel was sprawled across their front porch steps with her full pink dress fanned out around her like some kind of swooning Victorian woman, watching a police officer attempt to unlock the door to their car. It wasn’t clear which sibling locked the keys in the car, so Dipper couldn’t lay blame. “We’ve sat through the welcome assembly like a hundred times. Principal Stan says the same speech he did when we went to Gravity Falls. It’s not going to kill you to miss it once.”

“But it looks bad, and it’s unprofessional. The students need to know that we’re also invested in their education.” Dipper ignored the obnoxious snort Mabel released. “I also have stuff I still need to set up, and I can’t ask Wendy to do it because both of our phones are locked in the car! If this is a sign as to how the semester is going to go, I think I’ll die.”

“You’re so dramatic.” Mabel teased. “As long as we get there before the starting bell we’ll be fine. I think he’s almost done anyways.” Dipper turned as the soft thunk of a car door unlocking sounded. He tried to usher Mabel into the car quickly while thanking the officer for his help. It still took them five minutes to pull out of the driveway, despite Dipper urging his sister to move faster.

The assembly was practically over when the twins finally arrived at work. Dipper made his displeasure clearly known as his sister told him to have a good day. He didn’t really have anything pertinent to do, but the first day of school wasn’t the day to deviate from routine. His students potentially seeing him stressed out would not help him maintain a balanced student and teacher relationship.He already had a hard enough time keeping students engaged with history as a subject. Dipper sat at his desk, taking deep breaths, and listening for the sound of students coming down the hall. 

Mabel was right about his day going fine despite the rough morning. She was usually right when it came to situations that made Dipper freak out. His schedule was set up so Dipper had three classes with a prep period before his final class of the day. By the time his prep period came around, Dipper had to admit that it had been one of the smoothest first days of class he’d ever had. All of the notorious troublemakers weren’t taking his class, meaning no worrying about the health and safety of his students as much as he had in previous semesters. 

“You missed the assembly.” Wendy strolled into his room, taking a seat on one of the student desks in the front row. She was sporting her classic talking shit smile, so Dipper didn’t respond. “You missed meeting the new art teacher.” Dipper frowned; he had completely forgotten about Neil’s friend taking over the art department. “He’s nice. Mabel will probably love him.”

“And what, I’ll hate him.”

“Still up in the air. Neil wasn’t joking about him working at a tattoo shop. Dude’s covered in tattoos and piercings. The kids will be talking for weeks, I’m sure.” Dipper vaguely remembered Neil talking about a college friend applying for the art position. He had been more focused on potential extra credit movies. Dipper’s philosophy had always been to let someone speak for themselves. First impressions would be made at the time of introduction. “Coraline’s betting he’ll be the new Hottest Teacher. He said he’s twenty-six, but he could pass as twenty-one if he wanted to.”

“You know it’s weird that you and Coraline keep tabs on which teachers the students have crushes on.”

“You’re just mad that you were never number one on the list.”

“No, I’m not, and I never was.”

Wendy raised her hands placatingly. “Anyway, we’re inviting him to get drinks with us after work on Friday. I wanted to give you a heads up. Have a good last class.”

\----------

Dipper never ran into the teacher the rest of the week which could have been predicted. The art room was on the second floor with the English classrooms, while Dipper’s history room was on the first floor in a little nook next to Pacifica and Neil’s classroom. He would have had to go out of his way to introduce himself to Norman. Dipper wasn’t actively avoiding the introduction; it was just that when he was teaching there were other things on his mind. Mabel, of course, had gone up and introduced herself before class that Tuesday. At dinner that evening, Mabel had reported that Norman did in fact look a little scary, but he was nice, and Dipper would love him. Friday night would either prove her right or wrong. 

The tradition was started shortly after Pacifica was hired. Mabel noticed her struggling to make connections with other teachers and immediately jumped in to save the day. The official gatherings happened three times a semester: the first friday of the semester, the last day of midterms, and the last day of finals. They usually got together between those times, but those gatherings weren’t mandatory. They had a usual bar they went to and a specific table they were sat at. Mo was always good to them, knowing their schedule to a point where their table was reserved even when they forgot to call in. 

“Hey Dipper.” Mabel yelled from the bathroom down the hall. “I told Pacifica we’d pick her up on our way over. She’s also going to spend the night.” Dipper groaned only loud enough for him to hear. He and Pacifica had not gotten along at first. Her default was being sarcastic and dismissive, and it wasn’t until they had been around each other for years that they could get along without a third person buffer. Mabel and Pacifica’s gradually intensifying relationship helped speed that process along. 

“Then, we’ll need to leave soon.” Dipper threw his signature flannel over his X-Files t-shirt and began looking for his non-work shoes that Mabel referred to as Dad Shoes. “Alright, Mabel, let’s go.” Mabel drove with Dipper sitting in the back. He had sat in the passenger seat when they went to pick Pacifica up once, and got bitched at for the drive over because Mabel wasn’t able to hold her girlfriend’s hand over the center console and kiss her hello. He tried to argue that they were adults who could wait until they got where they were going, but that didn’t go over well. So, Dipper sat in the back and ignored how hilarious Pacifica found it every time she got in the car. 

“Why don’t you just get a second car?” Pacifica asked after Dipper released a heavier sigh than usual. “Then, you wouldn’t have to pout in the backseat.”

“You know I’m trying to save up for my own place. It’s already bad enough being in the house during your sleepovers. I don’t need to live with that everyday of my life.” Mabel stuck her tongue out at him via the rear-view mirror.

Dipper was glad to see that they weren’t the last people to arrive. Neil and Norman had yet to arrive, but that didn’t mean the party hadn’t already started. They had amassed their usual buffet of appetizers, and someone had already ordered them drinks. Dipper easily slid into his seat beside Coraline, falling easily into the conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

Neil and Norman arrived about ten minutes after the Pines twins and Pacifica. Nobody noticed them until they were almost at the table which was surprising due to Norman’s height. That was the first thing Dipper noticed. The man’s height had not been exaggerated. He towered over Neil and everyone around him. The length of his legs were accentuated by the tight black jeans he was wearing. His hair was tall too, which nobody had mentioned. “Hey guys.” Wendy greeted. “We ordered you a Guinness, Norman. Neil said you like dark beers.”

“That’s great, thank you.” Norman slid into the chair across from Dipper which meant it was time to finally introduce himself. 

“I’m Dipper, by the way.” He shook hands with Norman across the table.

“Norman. Nice to meet you. Nice shirt, by the way.”

“Thanks.” Dipper wasn’t prepared to have casual banter with Norman. “I have the complete box-set. Mabel says that makes me a nerd.”

“That doesn’t just make you a nerd.” Mabel confirmed, reaching between the two to grab a handful of fries. “It makes you a huge nerd. Biggest nerd I’ve ever seen.” Dipper rolled his eyes, but cracked a smile at Norman’s chuckle. 

“I love the X-Files. Any campy, shitty paranormal television show, I’m pretty much all about.” Norman admitted, gesturing to his Killer Klowns from Outer Space shirt. “The worse the movie the better in my opinion.”

“He’s not lying.” Neil jumped in this time. “I don’t know how many awful B Horror movies he made me watch in college, but it was a lot.”

“I got you free food every time. You’re not allowed to complain.” Norman made it obvious that he was jokingly arguing with Neil. “I also watched just as many fucking awful Rom-Coms with you.” That spurred on an argument about favorite movie genres and good and bad movies. Dipper didn’t actively participate in the discussion. He found himself caught up in watching Norman. His thick eyebrows were extremely expressive, and his long fingers kept wrapping and unwrapping around his glass. His tattoos were also eye-catching; the content definitely reflected a love of horror movies. His entire right arm was covered in zombies; portraits of decaying men and women staring up from his skin. His other arm was hidden from Dipper’s view, leaving the spider web on the front of his neck the only other visible tattoo. Mabel had been right about Norman. At first he’s a little intimidating, covered in tattoos, thick expressive eyebrows, and an intense amount of jewelry adorning his ears and face. However, Dipper wouldn’t say he “loved” Norman. He was nice, relaxed, got along with the group, and had similar interests, but he’d only known Norman for a couple hours. He didn’t get attached to people quite as quickly as Mabel did. But, he was willing to give it a shot.

“Hey Dipshit.” Pacifica yelled into Dipper’s ear, making him flinch and slosh his drink, the second of the night. “I know you’re busy drooling over there, but Mabel and I want to go home. Are you coming back with us?” Wendy and Coraline were also gathering their things to head out. Across the table, it looked like Norman and Neil were having a similar conversation. 

“See you Monday.” Norman waved as Neil followed Wendy out the door. “I can take you home, if you want to stick around.” Norman like Dipper still had a half-finished drink.

“Sure. I’ll see you at home.” Dipper shouted at Mabel’s retreating back. “Thanks for the ride.” Norman was now leant back in his chair; one long arm extended across the backs of the seats next to him. “I like to spend as little time in the house as possible when Pacifica comes over.”

“You and Pacifica don’t get along?”

“No, we do. Not at first, but we’re good now. It’s more the whole Mabel and Pacifica being in a very healthy relationship, if you get what I mean.” Norman nodded with a knowing smile. “The end of Pacifica’s lease is coming up. They’ve been talking about moving Pacifica in.”

“You planning on moving out?”

“I’d like to. I’m sure living with Mable and Pacifica would be fine, but they should have their own space. Mabel’s always wanted kids and pets. The house would be great for them. I’ve also basically lived with Mabel for my entire life. I kind of want to see what it’s like not living with her.”

“I’ll let you in on a secret; it’s not as great as you think it’ll be.” Dipper crooked an eyebrow as Norman took a swig of his drink. “It’s great to only have to deal with your shit, not have to work around other people’s schedules, and being able to walk around the apartment naked is fantastic. But, at some point you realize the dishes have piled up, the only clean clothes you have are the boxers you just put on, and the trash has been overflowing since you got take-out Chinese four days ago. You’re probably a better person than me and won’t let it get that bad, but I’m just saying that when I don’t have another person around to consider, I let a lot of things slide.”

“I don’t know. Mabel would probably say that a couple days of sitting around in my own filth would be good for me.” Dipper took a sip of his drink. “How long have you been living by yourself?”

“Since I graduated college. Well technically, I crashed on my friend Aggie’s couch for a couple of months until I could convince her boss to take me on as an apprentice. I worked without pay for a couple months, but he eventually felt bad for me and gave me enough to get a really shitty apartment. I tried to convince Aggie to put me on her lease, but she said that she already saw too much of my hideous face at work.”

“She sounds like a lovely person.”

“She’s great. Not afraid to tell it like it is and put you in your place.” Norman drained the last of his drink. “Neil met her once and is convinced she hates him. She doesn’t, for the record.” Dipper finished his drink. “Ready to head out?”

“Yeah. It was nice to talk to you. Maybe I’ll face my fears and venture to the second floor. It’s very scary you know, all the humanity fanatics running amuck.”

“You’re hilarious.” Norman deadpanned, leading Norman out of the bar towards a black car. “You think Mabel and Pacifica will be done by the time you get home?”

“Eww. They better be.”


	4. Chapter 4

The best thing about teaching an art class was the work days in Norman’s opinion. He’d play classic rock music and watch his students slip into a zone of creativity. It made him weirdly proud to see how well his students' projects were turning out when he periodically walked around the room. He let his students talk and listen to their own music while they worked. Setting and background noise impacted the flow of creativity in Norman’s opinion. At the shop he designed his best tattoos between one and three in the morning while listening to death metal. However, Deicide was not appropriate for a high school classroom, so he settled for some “dad music” as one of his students coined it. Work days also provided a time to respond to any emails that Dipper sent him. There email exchange had begun the Monday after the first Friday of the school year, when Dipper sent him a Mothman Meme. They had different free periods, so the only time they had to talk was before and after school or through email. The emails primarily revolved around the paranormal, cryptids, and horror movies. Norman wanted to ask Dipper for his phone number, so they could easily talk outside of work, but Norman wasn’t quite sure how Dipper would respond. The history teacher was a little hard to predict sometimes. It was hard to tell the difference between his interest and excitement and any potential flirting. Norman wished he had a better idea because Dipper was undoubtedly attractive. He still had a bit of a baby face with his round cheeks and soft jawline, but Norman could also detect strength beneath his baby blue button ups and khaki pants. But, being a teacher at a high school was very different from working as a tattoo artist, Norman had no idea what the rules were regarding relationships between teachers. It had to be okay to some degree since Mabel and Pacifica were dating. 

“Mr. Babcock.” Norman looked up; he was starting to get used to people not calling him by his name. “Can you help me?” Norman nodded, extracting his legs from beneath his desk. “I can’t get the eyes to look right.” Sydney was drawing a portrait of her aunt.The places where the eyes were supposed to be had smudges from past attempts that had been erased.

“There are a couple different ways to draw eyes.” The three other girls at the table had stopped working to watch what he was doing. “Some people will draw both eyes at the same time.” Norman grabbed a pencil and a piece of blank paper off his desk. “Once you draw one line, you immediately draw the same line for the other eye. This strategy won’t give you perfectly symmetrical eyes, but they will look like they belong to the same person.” Norman did a quick sketch using that technique. “Some people will draw one eye, then use transfer paper to create an exact copy. I personally am not a fan of that strategy because human eyes are not symmetrical. It ends up looking a little strange in a realistic portrait.” Norman reached into the basket in the middle of the table, pulling out a ruler. “The most reliable strategy, and the one most teachers will tell you to use, involves a lot of measuring. You can blame the Greeks for this one.” Norman looked up to make sure Sydney was understanding and realized the entire class was listening to him. “Alright, so, anatomy is proportional, and the eyes are no exception. I was taught to draw one eye, measure what I drew, and recreate it on the other eye.” Norman demonstrated that technique as well, and ended up going into a mini-lecture about drawing proportional faces. He was a little surprised that very few of his students knew this information, as his illustration class was for juniors and seniors. He promised to do a presentation about drawing human anatomy the next class period as the students were released to their next class. Neil had told him that the previous art teacher had stopped caring in the last few years they were teaching, but Norman hadn’t realized exactly what that entailed. How could these kids learn how to create their own style and play around, if they didn’t know the standard rules in the first place.

Norman was debating whether he was allowed to show The Vitruvian Man to a group of seventeen and eighteen-year-olds without covering up the model’s dick, or if he could just ignore it and expect them to be mature, when Coraline stepped into the room. They both had a prep period during the last hour of the day. If Coraline didn’t have any after school meetings or appointments with students, she would often leave early. Norman figured he didn’t have those privileges yet. “How’s it going? Heard you were actually lecturing last hour.”

“The last teacher never taught them about proportions.” Norman shook his head. “Didn’t realize that until a girl asked me about drawing eyes. I can’t ask them to do realistic portraits, if they don’t know how to recreate correct proportions.”

“Yikes.” 

“Yeah, and now I’m trying to decide if I’m allowed to use The Vitruvian Man which is practically required when talking about proportions, but I don’t want to get scolded for showing a bunch of high-schoolers a naked dude.”

“Isn’t most classical art of naked people?”

“Yes, but parents can be-”

“Oh I know. I have to send out permission slips before teaching some books.” Coraline knocked on Norman’s desk. “Anyway, I didn’t really come here to talk to you about school.” Norman raised an eyebrow at Coraline’s mischievous tone. “Mabel says you and Dipper have been talking a lot.”

“We email.” Norman confirmed. “Apparently I’m the only one that likes Bigfoot enough to satisfy Dipper’s fanaticism.”

“Have you ever hung out outside of work?” Coraline had adopted a lighter tone to her voice, which Norman was not buying.

“No. It’s never come up.”

“Well, I heard from a little birdy that Mabel and Pacifica are planning a date night Friday evening. Might not be a bad time to see if he would go to a movie with you. He’s been talking about that new Grudge Remake.”

“You realize we’re just friends, right? We’ve barely known each other for a month.”

“Oh I know.” Coraline was still using her innocent voice. “I was just saying it might be fun.” Coraline shrugged. “Well I’ll see you tomorrow.” Norman rolled his eyes at her as she left the room. She and Wendy had been making jokes about his and Dipper’s friendship for the last couple of weeks because whenever they met up at one of their classrooms before school started, Dipper would immediately start talking to Norman about an article or video he had seen the night before. Despite it being almost six-thirty in the morning, the man always had an exorbitant amount of energy when he came in. Neil once said that Norman looked even more like a zombie in the morning when he was talking to Dipper. The girls all thought it meant something, but Dipper had yet to say anything about it, so Norman continued to play down any implications the girls made. They were just two dudes bonding over the supernatural. However, he was already planning his email to Dipper, asking him about going to a movie on Friday. He could already picture the smug and knowing look on Coraline and Pacifica’s faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have very little artistic talent, and I relied on my artistically gifted friends for all of the art related information in this chapter. Them and my high school art teacher who was nice enough not to laugh in my face when she saw the abomination that was the realistic snake head I attempted to draw. I even used the grid method, but alas, it was shit.


	5. Chapter 5

Dipper had been shaken. The outcome wasn’t huge. Dipper’s entire outlook on life hadn’t been flipped on its head. Honestly, the change had been a minute tilt to Dipper’s axis. In either scenario, it was all Norman’s fault. He had gone up to Norman’s classroom looking to borrow some crayons for a project his American History kids were doing the next day. He hadn’t walked in on anything scandalous, but it still made Dipper’s heart thud a little bit faster and a little bit louder. Norman appeared to be helping a female student with something. Due to his height, he had to practically bend himself in half. And he was talking passionately; eyebrows raising high onto his forehead and dropping low into a furrow with every word, and blue eyes practically on fire. Dipper had probably only been staring for seconds, but he felt like it had minutes, and that he had been caught even though all of the students were as enraptured with their teacher as he was. He could completely understand why, but that didn’t stop his walk back to his room from feeling like a retreat. 

Once he was back in his room, Dipper refrained from closing the door. If he locked whatever had affected him out, it would be an admittance that something happened, which technically nothing did. But, then again something did. “Gah.” Dipper slumped his body forward so his forehead was pressed to the cool wood of his desk. Dipper had feelings for Norman. Cuddle on the couch, make out in a supply closet, wake up next to him kind of feelings. Dipper knew Norman was attractive , but he had been convinced that he had purely platonic feelings for the male. Dipper wasn’t able to fully process his feelings due to the bell signaling the end of the fourth period. He had to put himself together before his students arrived. 

\----------

Dipper was not avoiding Norman. He was trying to rush his sister because there was stuff he had to do at home. Pacifica prevented his prompt escape with Mabel, leaving Dipper floating in the sea without a liferaft, and Norman was the hungry shark. “Hey Dipper, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Yeah, sure.” Dipper plastered on his best smile and tried to pretend that he was capable of looking Norman in the eyes. “What’s up?”

“Are you doing anything Friday night? I was thinking about going to see the new Grudge remake, would you want to go with me?” Norman looked relaxed; his hands stuck into his front pockets and shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. 

“Um, sure, yeah, sounds great.” Dipper self consciously ran a hand through his hair. “Uh, Pacifica and my Sister are having a date night at home, so I’ll have the car. I can drive this time.”

“Sure. Usually I’d say we should go to the night showing, but there’s a five-thirty showing, if that would get you out of the house in time.”

“Five-thirty would be good. I think Pacifica will be coming over around then.”

“Great, I’ll email you my address.”

“Why not just text it to them?” Pacifica’s stupid blonde head popped into his peripherals. “That would be a lot easier, wouldn’t it?” Dipper wanted to bury himself in a hole. Norman no longer looked as relaxed. “I’m gonna’ walk Mabel to the car.”

“We don’t have to exchange numbers, if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“No.” Dipper cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. “She’s right. Then, I could let you know when I’m on my way and stuff. Uh, here.” Dipper pulled his phone out of his pocket and passed it to Norman, receiving Norman’s phone in return. Getting somebody’s phone number had never felt more intimidating.

\--------

The movie theater they ended up going to was only a fifteen minute walk from Norman’s apartment, and when they pulled into the packed parking lot they both agreed they should have just walked. Luckily very few people were seeing the Grudge remake, so they only had to share the theater with one other group. Sitting in the dim theater with a pair of oversized drinks and a bucket of popcorn they had poured a bag of M&M’s into, it was hard for Dipper to not view the evening as some kind of pseudo-date. Neither man had dressed up so to speak. Dipper was wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt that said “Take Me Back” with a UFO in the background. Norman was wearing black jeans and a black tank top with Cthulu on it. They had split the bill: Norman paying for the tickets, and Dipper buying the food. The worst part was that Dipper didn’t know if he wanted it to be a date. He came to terms with his bisexuality in high school, but he’d never actually had a male romantic or sexual partner. He was also assuming Norman was interested in him in the same way. Norman probably intended for the night to just be two friends spending time together. Dipper was just making it weird.

The thoughts running through Dipper’s made it hard for him to focus on the movie. He knew it didn’t have the same punch as the original and didn’t impress him at all. By the way Norman was mumbling to himself and stifling laughs, he was in agreement. It seemed like every time Dipper convinced himself to relax and enjoy the movie Norman would do something to send him back into nervous mode. Leaning in and whispering a joke into Dipper’s ear, their hands touching while they reached for popcorn like some dumb Rom-Com, Norman throwing his arm across the back of Dipper’s chair for approximately the last twenty minutes of the movie, he simultaneously wanted to tell Norman to knock it off and call his bluff. They were grown ass men; they shouldn’t be playing the same games their students did.

\--------

It was closing in on seven-thirty when they walked back to Dipper’s car. Norman was talking about how the movie they just watched compared to the original. Dipper felt bad that he wasn’t paying attention even a little bit. “Hey, I know Pacifica and Mabel are doing date night, so you can chill at my apartment for a little bit before you head back if you want.” Norman’s eyes were wide and honest because he was a good guy who didn’t want his friend to feel like he had to go home and hear and see things he never wanted to hear or see. And because Dipper had some kind of penchant for masochism, he agreed.

Norman’s apartment was small, but homey. There was art scattered all over the place: movie posters of classic horror films hung on the wall, sketchbooks were half-hazardous tossed on the couch and floor, pens were sticking out of cups and between the cushions of the couch. “Sorry it’s such a mess. Didn’t think anybody was going to come over.” Norman ran around the room, piling the pens and sketchbooks into something resembling an organized stack. “Feel free to look through my DVDs or find something on TV. I’m going to fix myself a drink, do you want anything?”

“I’d take a beer.” Dipper walked over to the bookshelf housing the DVDs, taking note that the couch was full sized and not a love seat. Dipper pulled Paranormal Activity from the shelf. He’d probably seen it more than a dozen times and was perfectly fine talking over it.

“Nice choice.” Norman passed Dipper his drink, gesturing for Dipper to sit while Norman set up the DVD player. As soon as Dipper sunk into the couch he was immediately hit with the fragrance of felt tipped pens, spicy cologne, and cigarettes. Dipper had never been close enough to Norman to smell him, but the scent fit him.

“I didn’t know you smoke.” Dipper couldn’t help himself, when conversations pulled into awkward silence he felt compelled to talk.

“I don’t anymore. I was really bad during college, and it kind of comes with the territory working at a tattoo parlor, but about a year and a half ago the shop owner made a bet with all the artists to stop smoking. A close friend of his had died of lung cancer. Unfortunately at the age of twenty three I didn’t give a shit about myself or my possessions, so now my couch kind of smells like Menthols. It’s gross. I really need to get a new couch.” Norman took a long drink. “Thanks for hanging out with me tonight. I know it was mainly because of Pacifica and your sister, but I still had fun.”

Dipper returned Norman’s lopsided smile. “I didn’t say yes to just get out of the house. I’d been curious about the movie since they announced it. The original really got to me in middle school.” Dipper noticed that he and Norman were still staring at each other and quickly turned to face the screen.

“I was worried about making friends after I got out here.” Dipper glances at Norman, who was picking at the label on his bottle. “I knew Gravity Falls was a small town,. Wasn’t sure I’d really connect with anyone, despite Neil telling me everyone was super nice. I’m really glad I met the group. I’m really glad I met you.” Norman was staring at Dipper out of the corner of his eye. Dipper knew it was to allow him a chance to interpret it as either platonic or romantic. He guessed that meant Norman was interested in him.

“I’m really happy I met you too. Mabel, Coraline, and Wendy always humored my fascination with the supernatural, but it’s not something they’d talk about if I wasn’t in the conversation. It’s nice to have someone to bounce articles and ideas off of.” They made eye contact again. 

“Can I kiss you?” Norman asked.

“Yeah.” Dipper breathed in response already leaning towards Norman. The initial kiss was chaste, a simple pressing of lips. It was a little strange because Dipper wasn’t used to kissing anyone with lip piercings. Then, one of Norman’s large tattooed hands reached up and cupped Dipper’s cheek, tilting his head to lock their lips. The kiss remained gentle, and Norman easily removed his hand from Dipper’s face as he pulled away. “Huh.” 

“What?” 

“I’d really like to do that again.” Dipper admitted to Norman’s crooked smile. 

“I might be able to arrange something.” Dipper then found himself with a lap full of tattooed art teacher. It was claustrophobic to have Norman hovering over him but not suffocating. It also made his heart race because Dipper had never been one for couch make-out sessions even when he was a teenager. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands, but he knew that laying them limply at his sides probably wasn’t right. “This still okay? You kind of zoned out on me for a minute.” Norman’s blue eyes shined with concern.

“I’m good, just caught up in my own head.”

“You unsure about this? We can pretend it never happened. Spend the rest of the night playing Mortal Kombat and drinking beer.”

“No, I just need to go for it.”

“Alright.” Norman then firmly pressed his lips to Dipper’s; his mouth opened more than it was for their last kiss. It sent a thrill through Dipper when he felt Norman’s tongue against his. The round stud running through his tongue startling Dipper. Norman pulled back from Dipper with a small pop from their lips but didn’t stay away for long. He reattached his lips to the juncture of Dipper’s jaw and neck. 

“Ah. I didn’t know you have a tongue piercing.”

“Got it when I was nineteen. Forgot I had it too. I’d offer to take it out if it bothered you, but I think the hole left behind would be more uncomfortable.” 

“No, it’s fine. Do you have any other piercings I need to be aware of?”

“I’ve got my nipples pierced.” 

“You’re joking.” 

“Mmm, you’ll have to see.”


	6. Chapter 6

Dipper left Norman’s apartment around one in the morning. They ended up watching a couple more Paranormal Activity movies and talking. Norman had rolled himself off of Dipper after about thirty minutes of physical intimacy. He didn’t want to overwhelm Dipper, nor did he want to signal only physical attraction. Getting to know Dipper better had actually been a lot of fun. That being said, there was no denying the physical attraction Norman had for Dipper. Norman was fully prepared to slide onto his knees and blow Dipper while he was sitting fully clothed on that couch.The image was tantalizing to think about. Norman on his knees, fingers digging into Dipper’s skin to keep his hips still as Norman’s tongue and throat brought him to orgasm. Dipper was probably the kind of guy who tried to stay quiet during sex but couldn’t help releasing little groans and breathy moans. Norman would probably have to give him permission to grab his hair, but once he did the tugging would be wonderful. Norman grunted; the fist wrapped around his cock speeding up as his fantasy drew closer to Dipper’s release. He wasn’t sure if he wanted imaginary Dipper to put his load down his throat or across his face. Real life Dipper appeared to be a bit of a neat freak. He was hyper organized and would probably scoff at the idea of coming across Norman’s face. With that thought Norman’s fate was sealed. He released as soon as imaginary Dipper’s ejaculate hit imaginary Norman’s cheek. It was hot and dirty, and Norman sat slumped on the couch for a solid couple of minutes before heading to the bathroom to clean himself up. It would be a little interesting talking to Dipper at work on Monday.

\---------

The two ended up exchanging texts on Saturday afternoon. It was like once the gates were open, Dipper wanted to throw himself into the flood. Norman didn’t mind; it gave him something to do while he was doing laundry. Apparently Pacifica and Mabel were grilling him about being out so late. Dipper didn’t tell them everything, which Norman admitted that he fully understood. Whatever they were doing, whether it was building up to a relationship or something else, was new and shaky. Getting other people involved before they were both ready would likely negatively interfere, even if everyone had the best intentions in mind. However, that mindset was difficult to apply to Neil, who had stuck with Norman while he was going through the toughest times of his life. So, he was a little apprehensive about accepting Neil’s invite to a sports bar. Neither of them were sports bar people, but they’d both had a thing about bar wings since high school. With the promise of Buffalo Chicken Wings, Norman arrived at Mo’s at the designated time.

“Hey!” Neil was seated at the bar, a drink and basket of chili cheese fries already waiting in front of him.

“Hey! You ready for some fucking chicken wings?” Norman flagged the bartender down. “How’s it been?”

“I should be asking you that.” Neil pushed the fries towards Norman. “How has Gravity Falls been treating you?” 

“Good, I guess. I’ve done a little bit of exploring near my apartment. Found out the movie theater is within walking distance last night. The Asian fusion place across the street is really fucking good. Teaching is surprisingly exhausting. I haven’t wanted to do anything but sit on the couch once I get home.”

“I’ve been telling you that for years!” Neil playfully punched Norman in the arm. “What do you think about the group? I heard you’ve been talking to Dipper a lot.”

“He’s cool. Knows a lot about a lot of stuff. Makes me feel a little stupid sometimes. The only thing I’ve ever been good at when it comes to school is art.” Their conversation was interrupted by the waiter taking their order. “I mean, you were right about everybody being nice. Coraline usually stops by to give me shit before she leaves everyday. I haven’t spent a huge amount of time with Wendy, but Pacifica and Mabel are usually around when I stop by Dipper’s room. Those two are interesting to watch.”

“When they first started dating it was a bit of a mess. Pacifica was still very Pacifica at the time. None of us thought Mabel would be able to deal with that for long. She must have been a completely different person from what the rest of us dealt with. After a couple of months, Pacifica started to be less angry, and I think they’re coming up on three years together.”

“What got them together?” 

“Something happened at the annual Halloween party. Neither of them will say what it was. Coraline is convinced Pacifica did something embarrassing.”

“I’m sure it’s a secret they’ll both take to the grave.” The waiter once again interrupted, delivering their food. 

“I’m really happy you and Dipper are getting along so well.” Norman looked up, sensing that Neil was about to prove once again that he was more observant than people gave him credit for. “His interests have always been a little different than everybody else, which isn’t a bad thing, but I think it makes him feel a little lonely sometimes. I thought maybe because you were also a bit of an outsider coming in, that the two of you would team up.”

“Have you been planning this from the beginning? Did you convince the old art teacher to leave just so you could try to get Dipper and I together? Neil, are you secretly an evil genius?”

“No, no, I just took advantage of a situation, you know. I actually didn’t think you’d actually apply for the position.”

“Actually, Mitch, my boss at the tattoo shop told me to do it. I think he just wanted me out of his shop. But, he said it was because he wanted to push me to be better than him. Aggie just wants to see me get my ass kicked by a bunch of high-schoolers.”

“Would you want to open up your own shop?”

“I don’t know. It would be cool, but I have no business sense. I’d need a partner, maybe a guy who did really well in accounting classes.”

Neil laughed, “We’ll see. It’s been a couple years for me.”


	7. Chapter 7

Fortifying himself, Dipper picked the bucket of crayons off of his desk. They had lain unneeded in his classroom for days after the students turned in their poster projects. Returning the coloring supplies he borrowed should not have been as nerve wracking as it was. Dipper wasn’t doing anything untoward. Sure, Norman had a class during fourth period, but the teachers interrupted each other's classes all the time. Mabel and Wendy were notorious for barging into his classroom mid-lecture for any myriad of reasons. He wasn’t planning on being that obnoxious either. He was just going to set the box of crayons on Norman’s desk and leave. It was fine. Perfectly normal.

As was standard practice, the art room’s door was closed. The art room could get as loud as the shop classes on some days. Dipper peered through the thin window next to the door, noting the students bent over their projects. Norman gently knocked once before entering. Norman looked up and smiled at him. “Mr. Pines, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Dipper rolled his eyes. The students were staring. Dipper wouldn’t consider himself a hard ass; he was understanding about late work and lenient with due dates, but he also expected his students to take the subject seriously. Those two factors put him dead center in the line-up of hated to loved teachers. He had heard through students who took any of Norman’s art classes that Norman’s teaching style was laid back, which made sense. Norman played music during class, praised creativity and out of the box ideas, and occasionally made the students promise secrecy when he forgot where he was and swore during class. Watching the two of them interact must have been fascinating to the students. “I’m returning the crayons I borrowed last week.” He shook the box emphasizing his point before setting it on an open spot on the desk.

“And, here I thought you were just stopping by to demonstrate your own artistic skills. Wanted to show me up.”

“I can barely make a stick figure look like a person. You don’t need to worry about me coming into your lane.” The students snickered at his attempt to use their vocabulary. Norman also raised an eyebrow in amusement but suppressed any laughter. “Well, I’ll leave you to whatever dark magic you do in here.” Some of the students who had taken one of his class joined Norman in the obnoxious “Goodbye, Mr. Pines” he yelled as Dipper exited the room. Had the students not been watching him, he would have flipped Norman the bird before closing the door. To save his professional reputation, Dipper did it over text. 

Norman responded with an angel emoji. Then, immediately sent another text, asking Dipper if he would want a private drawing lesson on Saturday. Dipper assumed Norman was teasing him about the drawing lesson and accepted the invitation. They’d probably walk to the movie theater and maybe stop at a bar on the way home for some drinks. 

\----------

Dipper was wrong about Norman’s intentions for inviting him over. When Norman let him into the apartment, Dipper immediately noticed the ream of paper and art supplies waiting on the flat surface Norman called his dining table. “You were serious.” Dipper asked, making Norman snort before kissing Dipper hello.

“Art is a great way to relieve stress.” Norman walked Dipper towards the table. “It’s also a learned skill, so with enough practice you could rival Van Gogh.” Norman pressed a quick kiss to Dipper’s cheek. “Want a drink?”

“I’m going to need something strong.” Despite the slight protesting, Dipper dutifully sat at the table, taking in the colored pencils that had to be at least half of their original size as well as a metal box containing charcoal pencils. 

“Here, I made us rum and Cokes. Your’s more rum than Coke as requested.” Dipper immediately took a large swig of the drink. “Over dramatic.”

Even though the endeavor to teach Dipper to draw was a dismal failure, Dipper admittedly had fun and came out on the other side more relaxed. Norman was a good teacher: encouraging and ready to deflect Dipper’s negativity for a more productive mentality. If he was honest with himself, the cartoonish monkey and penguin Norman coached him through were actually identifiable; an improvement from his usual illegible scribbles. The elephant he was working on without Norman’s help had definitely taken a hit in quality, but there was no denying improvement on some level. Some of the struggle could be blamed on the fact Dipper was splitting his focus between his own drawing and watching Norman. The artist had opened one of his official looking sketchbooks, telling Dipper that they would share their work once Dipper was done with his elephant. 

Dipper surrendered after about thirty minutes of erasing and redrawing the trunk that either looked too short or too long compared to the rest of its body. The four different legs were four different lengths, and the body looked like a raw potato with how bumpy the back was. Dipper hadn’t attempted to add shading to his line drawing. “I think that’s as good as it’s going to get.” Norman looked up from his sketchbook. 

“Not bad!”

“I have the same drawing skill as a five year old, maybe worse.”

“This was your first time drawing with actual instruction.”

“Fine, then show me what you did.” Dipper pushed the elephant into a pile with the penguin and monkey. They would be recycled or incinerated later. Norman flipped the sketchbook around; the tips of his ears and tops of his cheeks a light pink. It was a drawing of Dipper trying to draw. It perfectly detailed his concentration face, where his lower lip stuck out a little further than his upper lip like a pout and his eyebrows furrowed in the middle. It was sketchy, but with a little more time Norman could probably make it look like a photograph.

“If people can sell their soul for amazing guitar skills, is it possible to sell your soul for magic hands? I’m not accusing you of anything, I’m just asking for a friend.” 

“Right.” Norman flipped the sketchbook closed and pulled Dipper away from the table.

“Can it be any old demon? Or does it have to be a specific one? Is there a demon that just walks around exchanging various skills for souls?”

“Dipper.” Norman pulled him down onto the couch. 

“I was joking about the dark magic thing the other day, but I’m starting to think that’s the actual reason you’re so good.” Dipper resituated himself so he was less flopped across Norman and more straddling him. “You should ask to do a mural.”

“Yeah, just an entire wall of your face.” Norman said before kissing Dipper firmly on the lips. “Call it “History Nerd in Color,” and you’ll be in various superhero poses.”

“Shut up,” Dipper returned the kiss, sensing that their conversation was going to end quickly, “but I’m serious about the mural.” Norman just hummed, sliding his fingers under the hem of Dipper’s shirt. Norman’s lips trailed kisses down from Dipper’s lips to his collarbone. Dipper flinched when teeth gently scraped against his skin. He squeezed Norman’s hips between his thighs, rubbing their growing cocks together. Dipper froze after the shock of pleasure raced through his body. However, the action seemed to spur Norman on. Large hands firmly gripped Dipper’s hands and brought his body forward, so they were pressed together from chest to crotch. 

“Am I moving too fast?” Dipper could feel the movement of Norman’s lips against his neck and had to suck in a stabilizing breath before answering.

“Yeah, but I hope you know what you’re doing because I have no idea.” Norman pulled back, frowning. “It’s been a while for me, and I’ve never really done anything with a guy.”

“Oh, well why don’t you tell me what you want to do? What are you comfortable with?” 

Dipper took a moment to think about that. He really wanted to get off. He really wanted to get Norman off. Norman’s mouth on him would be too much, and Dipper wasn’t ready to use his mouth on Norman. “Hands. Can we stay like this and use our hands?” 

“Whatever you want. We can stop completely, if that would make you more comfortable.”

“No, I want to try it like this.” Dipper swallowed and carefully put his hands on Norman’s chest. “I can’t promise it will be good.”

“Just do what you do to yourself. It’s not that different.” Norman’s long fingers were now running inside the waistband of Dipper’s jeans. He appeared to be waiting for Dipper’s lead. What a gentleman.

“Alright.” Keeping in contact with Norman’s abdomen, Dipper dragged his palms down to Norman’s waistband. It was a little awkward reaching into Norman’s pants and fishing his dick out, but once his fingers wrapped around it Norman moaned. Norman’s eyes were half-closed and his jaw relaxed. Dipper dipped his head down for a kiss. He gave a tug tender and unsure.

“A little tighter.” Norman instructed, undoing the button and zipper of Dipper’s jeans. Following instructions, Dipper tightened his grip and tried again. This time Norman’s hips chased his hand. “Just like that.” Whereas Dipper had immediately wrapped around the base, Norman first thumbed the head of Dipper’s dick. It felt good and made his hips stutter and a soft moan to alight in the air. Realizing his hand had gone still, Dipper braced his free hand against the back of the couch and followed Norman’s lead. Soon Dipper was struggling to keep his eyes open, and he kept missing Norman’s lips when the urge to kiss overcame him. 

Dipper came first. A high pitched noise escaping his throat and his body going rigid. He worried that he had gripped Norman too tightly and released him fully. Norman’s hand quickly replaced his. Dipper watched as Norman brought himself to completion with a series of quick flicks of the wrist. Norman moaned low as his cum mixed with Dipper’s across Norman’s t-shirt.

“That’s disgusting.” Dipper stated, tucking himself back into his pants. Norman just laughed, rolling Dipper onto his own seat and peeling his now soiled shirt off. Shirtless Norman did not disappoint. Dipper hoped that he wouldn’t have to wait very long to study all of the tattoos inked into Norman’s skin.


	8. Chapter 8

When Dipper returned home around seven in the evening, Mabel and Pacifica were cuddled on the couch watching The Great British Baking Show. He saluted them hello as he headed directly for the fridge. Meals had been forgotten about that afternoon outside of a shared bag of pretzels. After the--incident--on the couch and once Norman put a shirt back on, the two partook in their usual activities, watching TV or a movie and talking. The SciFi channel had been their poison of choice. Lavalantula and Frankenfish had lived up to expectations, providing a great chance for running commentary. As always, the time with Norman had been like a dream. 

“Norman’s again?” Pacifica’s tone was smug. Dipper knew if he looked over to the living room couch he’d see both his sister and her girlfriend’s smug faces. “You guys dating yet?”

“Can’t two guys just hang out and watch movies?”

“Of course, except you want to be more than friends with Norman.” Dipper shook his head. He still wasn’t sure if he was ready to share his budding relationship with Mabel and Pacifica.

“I think it’s great that you have a crush, Dip n’ Dots.” Mabel finally chimed in. “Norman’s a sweet guy, and he likes all of the same things you like.”

“It is kind of sickening to watch you two fangirl over your weird monsters every morning.” 

“They’re cryptids not monsters, and we do not fangirl.” 

“Me thinks the boy doth protest too much.” Pacifica snickered to Mabel. 

“You should invite Norman to Coraline’s Halloween party! He seems like the kind of guy to enjoy a good Halloween party.” Dipper let his head fall forward, so his chin touched his sternum. “You could even do matching costumes! It would be so cute!”

It wasn’t a bad idea to invite Norman to the annual Halloween party. Neil would probably be inviting him anyway. There was no way they were going to do a couples costume, and they wouldn’t be arriving or going home together. Norman outwardly groaned. “I’ll think about it. Now let me eat in peace.” 

\------

Dipper was once again pacing around his room during his preparatory period. He had let the idea of inviting Norman to the Halloween party exist in the back of his mind, where it could only torment Dipper during the fifteen minutes before he fell asleep. However, Halloween was coming up fast, and the group was getting more and more excited about Coraline’s plans for the party. He just wasn’t sure about asking because Norman hadn’t shown anything beyond polite interest. He could hear Pacifica in his ear calling him pathetic and spineless. Out of spite for imaginary Pacifica, Dipper sent a text, which was still technically a coward’s way out. It also unfortunately doubled as an act of torture because Dipper then had to wait for Norman to respond, and today was one of Norman’s rare lecture days. But, he was an adult with patience, self-control, and his own class to distract himself. 

Fortunately, his lecture on the Spanish colonization of Mexico was intense enough to keep both himself and his students engaged. However, by the end of class Norman still had not responded. It was possible that Coraline, who shared a prep hour with Norman, had needed his help with something, but it was difficult for Dipper to not get nervous at least a little bit. 

A knock on his door halted Dipper’s borderline frantic reorganizing of his lecture notes. Norman stood in the doorway with a sheepish smile. “Neil already told me attendance to the Halloween party was mandatory.”

“Oh. I figured he might have.” Dipper glanced at the quickly emptying halls as Norman approached his desk. “Have you already decided on a costume?”

“Well, I told him it was tentative maybe.” Norman rubbed the back of his neck. “The movie theater is doing a horror movie marathon, and the lineup is decent. I’m thinking about going, would you want to come with me?”

“When does it start? I told Coraline I’d help set-up.”

“Eight-thirty to two in the morning. We wouldn’t have to stay for the whole time.”

“People are supposed to show up at seven. Since, I’m helping Coraline, I’ll probably convince them to let me leave after an hour without too much of an ordeal.”

“You’re sure you want to go. I know the holiday parties are a big deal for you guys. I don’t want to cause issues or anything.”

“If I told them it was a date, all of them would probably offer to drop me off at the theater.”

“I wouldn’t mind them knowing, if that comes up.” Norman winked. “For now, I’ll plan to swing by and pick you up. It wouldn’t hurt to show my face for a couple minutes.”

\-------

Mabel’s reception to hearing about Dipper’s modified plans was about what he expected. She released some kind of high-pitched pterodactyl noise and wiggled her hands above her head. “You can’t say that’s not a date! It’s definitely a date!”

“Mabel, we’ve gone to a movie together before.”

“Yeah, but last time you weren’t skipping out on Coraline’s awesome Halloween party. You love Halloween! It’s your favorite holiday!”

“I’m still helping Coraline beforehand, and I’ll be able to hang out for an hour. After nine, everyone is pretty much useless anyways. This year there’s a good chance I won’t embarrass myself. Wendy’s Jungle Juice should be on the federal list of illegal substances.”

“Fine.” Mabel crossed her arms. Dipper turned to head upstairs to his room, so he could change out of his work clothes. He made the mistake of thinking the conversation was over, only for Mabel to release another ungodly noise. “You’re keeping Norman all to yourself! You’re stealing our chance to party with him! That’s not fair!” 

Dipper blinked dumbly at his sister. “What are you talking about?”

“Halloween has to be Norman’s favorite holiday. He probably goes all out, and you’re depriving us that experience.”

“He said he might pop his head in, maybe you can convince him to come earlier. But, he’s driving, so don’t try to get him drunk.”

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Dipper quickly left the room once Mabel was distracted to prevent her from bringing anything else up. It was just a Halloween party. It was just a movie marathon. Not a big deal.


	9. Chapter 9

Coraline’s house looked like the entire Hammer anthology had come to life in her front yard. The front door was guarded by a Dracula and a Frankenstein statue. There were headstones set up in the yard with skeletal hands popping up from the ground a few feet in front of them, each of the headstones was labeled with one of the teacher’s names. He found the one labeled Mr. Pines. “Went Swimming With the Wallowa Lake Monster”. Norman’s grin grew as he walked the rest of the way up the walk. Spiderwebs hung from the porch roof with a massive spider partially hidden behind a bush. At night with the lights on, the scene undoubtedly looked phenomenal. Norman made sure to compliment Coraline on her decorating as soon as she opened the door. The inside of the house was only mildly toned down compared to the front lawn. She had done her make-up so that when she closed her eyes she looked like a doll with buttons for eyes. 

Everyone was waiting in the open kitchen and living room. Neil had gone for the classic zombie. Wendy looked pretty much the same with her boots and flannel, except there was a bloody hatchet sticking out of her head. Mabel looked like Glinda from The Wizard of Oz with a grumpy Pacifica at her side in a pirate costume. Dipper looked uncomfortable in his heavily ripped shirt and jeans soaked in fake blood. Norman expressed that he felt a little under-dressed before mingling among his coworkers, who were quickly becoming friends. He was careful to keep an eye on the time and pulled Dipper out the door as soon as the clock hit eight. He made Dipper put his sweatshirt on while they drove, so they’d have time to get snacks.

“Nice costume by the way.” Norman had said very little until they were parked at the movie theater. He felt a little bad about it.

“It was easier to just agree to a costume than to try and argue with Mabel. Werewolf victim involved the least amount of effort.” Dipper shifted the popcorn bucket, so it was better balanced between them. “Mabel wanted me to do a whole Werewolf thing but going to a movie covered in glue and fake fur sounds like the opposite of fun.”

“Halloween costumes are definitely an inconvenience in any scenario outside of a party. I used to love dressing up as a kid, and went all out every year. But, in college everything just ended up getting covered in beer and body fluids.It wasn’t worth the effort.”

“College was the first time Mabel didn’t insist on doing some kind of sibling costume. It was cute when we were nine, but I was over it my last couple years Trick or Treating.”

“My older sister was never big on Halloween. But because she was so much older, my parents would let her be the chaperone. She’d walk our neighborhood with me, then once we were out of the sudden parent appearance radius, she’d fuck off.”

“She never got caught.?” Dipper’s eyes were huge.

“I’d get home and tell my parents we ran across a couple of her friends on the way home. Used the same lie every year, they never picked up on it. I only did it because she’d buy me king sized candy bars in exchange for my silence.”

“Bribery, the thing all sibling relationships are built upon.”

The lights began to dim ending their conversation. Norman settled back into his seat ready for a night of terror. They started with the original 1978 Halloween; the obvious choice in Norman’s opinion. It was a staple, arguably one of the first slasher movies alongside Black Christmas and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and set the perfect tone for the evening. The second film was Hostel. Norman wasn’t a huge fan of Torture Porn movies, preferring Creature Features and Slashers, although he had seen every film in the Saw franchise and went through a short Cannibal Holocaust phase. Dipper, however, struggled with the movie. He had to close his eyes during the first torture scene and ended up keeping them closed for the second half of the movie. To provide some sort of comfort, Norman removed the practically empty popcorn bucket from between them and held on to one of Dipper’s hands. During the short break that marked the halfway point, Norman dragged Dipper out to the lobby with the excuse of refilling his drink and getting more candy.

“Are you doing okay? I didn’t even think about Hostel when I asked you to come.” 

“I’m good.” Dipper squeezed the hand Norman didn’t realize he was still holding. “Just don’t like body horror. I had to psych myself up to watch Alien, which isn’t even that bad.”

“That probably says more about me than it does about you.”

The third film was Get Out, which Norman had watched with Aggie and Mitch. They had closed the shop early that night in order to go to the premier screening. The marathon was capped off with The Exorcist. Dipper had to look away for the tracheotomy but was mouthing the lines along with Norman for almost the entire movie. They left the theater a little before four in the morning with about twelve other people. 

They were both pretty much dead on their feet when they stumbled into Norman’s apartment. Norman was aware enough to find Dipper suitable sleeping clothes and an extra toothbrush before falling face first into bed. He stayed conscious long enough to feel Dipper crawl into bed and snuggle up against him.

\-------

Waking up the next morning was a slow endeavor. Their shared body heat created perfect homeostasis under the sheets. The late morning sunlight was creating an inoffensive light in the room. Norman was partially wrapped around Dipper like some kind of seaweed monster, and Dipper was lightly tracing the tattoos on Norman’s arm making his hair stand on end. “Mmm-morning.” It had been a while since Norman had woken up next to someone without having had sex the night before.

“Morning.” Dipper sounded like he was smiling. “It’s almost noon.” Norman groaned again, shoving his face deeper into Dipper’s shoulder. “You can sleep some more. I was thinking about making something to eat.”

“You’re not cooking.” Norman finally opened his eyes. “Guests don’t cook”

“Is that a rule?” 

“It is in the Babcock family.” Norman pecked Dipper on the cheek before untangling himself. “What are you in the mood for? I can make sandwiches. I think I have box Mac N’ Cheese. Could probably make some kind of omelette, if you aren’t opposed to breakfast in the afternoon.”

“Mac N’ Cheese sounds good.”

“Sounds good.” Norman officially rolled out of bed; his feet touching the carpeted floor. He had slept without a shirt on and wondered if that was awkward as Dipper’s eyes followed him out of the room. It was probably a bad idea to boil water without a shirt on, but it was too much effort to put one on.

“I didn’t even ask if you wanted me to sleep on the couch last night.” Dipper appeared in the kitchen a couple minutes later.

“I wouldn’t have let you anyway.” Norman reached into the fridge for an energy drink. “Either we were both sleeping in that bed, or I would be on the couch. I’m glad you didn’t kick me onto the couch. It is not comfortable to sleep on.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t have made you sleep on the couch. Sleeping with you wasn’t bad.” 

Norman snorted. “A rave review.”

“You’re too bony for a perfect score, but I’m sure with enough time we’ll come up with a way for me to avoid getting elbowed in the stomach.”

"It was not that bad."


	10. Chapter 10

The weeks after the Halloween party were the calmest they had ever been. All of their parties had the tendency to get out of hand. When they all got together the energy rose and rose until someone either got hurt or something broke. Plates and bowls were usually the things subjected to the group’s abuse, but one year it got a little too rowdy and Coraline’s refrigerator had almost lost its door. Mabel hadn’t reported anything incredibly interesting when Dipper returned home on Sunday afternoon. Neil said the same thing Monday morning before school started. Dipper figured it was related to the fact they were all closing in on or passing thirty. None of them had the stamina or the bounce back for nights of extreme drinking. However, it soon came to Dipper’s attention that his friends hadn’t gone all out because they had been distracted by gossip, not because they were getting worn out.

“I can’t believe they were gossiping about us!” Dipper was standing in his kitchen cooking stir fry while talking to Norman on the phone. “They spent hours--ugh!” Dipper tried to rain in his feelings, so he didn’t cut himself. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, not angry, a little embarrassed, almost giddy.

“Did Wendy tell you anything specific?” Norman was lounging on the couch, playing Death Stranding because he was the kind of guy who could understand artsy stuff like that. He also appeared unconcerned about the whole situation. 

“It was a lot of talking about my abysmal love life, apparently.” They had all expressed concern about his singleness over the years. Since beginning his job teaching, Dipper hadn’t really pursued a relationship. Wendy was currently single because she was fresh out of a three year relationship. Coraline was attempting online dating with a decent amount of success. Neil was asexual and had no interest in a relationship. Mabel and Pacifica had each other and were on their way to being Mrs. and Mrs. Northpines or something like that. Dipper understood their worry about him, but he was also an adult who could make his own decisions. That being said, he begrudgingly agreed with a lot of what Wendy told him. Norman made Dipper happy, unquestionably. He increased Dipper’s quality of life. 

“At least that means they’re supportive. Not everyone has friends who are stoked about them dating a temporary art teacher who is also a tattoo artist.” Norman’s statement reminded Dipper of what was arguably the real reason he had called his boyfriend, recently made official. 

“Yeah.” Dipper tossed his chicken into the frying pan along with rice and chopped vegetables. He watched them sizzle for a while before stirring and adding the sauce.

“You okay, Dipper?” The music from the menu screen could be heard in the background, meaning Norman was paying full attention.

“Yeah. I also just found out that Mabel let the fact I was no longer single slip to my parents.”

“Hmm, is that a bad thing?”

“No.” Dipper sighed. “But, they felt compelled to invite you to Thanksgiving with Mabel, Pacifica, and I.” Norman was quiet, compelling Dipper to start rambling. “You don’t have to come, and I would completely get it if you don’t want to. We’ve only been dating for a little while. Thanksgiving with my parents is really casual. No dressing up or anything. You wouldn’t have to bring any food either-”

“Dipper.” Norman’s tone was firm but not malicious. “Do you want me to come? It isn’t a big deal either way. I won’t be mad, if you don’t want me to come.” 

“I would like you to come.” Dipper admitted after a decent sized contemplative silence. “I don’t want you to spend Thanksgiving alone. Besides, it’ll be more like a Friendsgiving with Mabel and Pacifica there.”

“Then, I’ll be there.” Norman had gone back to his usual pleasant tone. “And, I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“You’re not the one I’m worried about. You’re the kind of guy that grandparents love.” 

“It allows me to get away with more.” Dipper was glad that Norman wasn’t making a big deal out of anything. Although, he really should have expected that. Norman handled everything with an ease Dipper had never been able to achieve. “Tell your parents I’ll be there, and I’ll be bringing dessert.”

“Norman, you don’t need to.”

“I have my grandma’s Boston Cream Pie recipe. My mom would smack me, if they found out I hadn’t brought anything to my boyfriend’s parent’s Thanksgiving. Now, stop stressing, eat your food, and enjoy your evening. See you tomorrow.”

Having Dipper’s relationship with Norman become public knowledge among his friends, calmed Dipper. He hadn’t realized how nervous he was for them, especially Mabel and Wendy, to approve of Norman. There was also the threat of how short their relationship had the possibility to be. At the end of the school year Norman would most likely be replaced; there were already grumblings of a couple job interviews scheduled after the Winter Break. Norman would likely go back to Massachusetts. But, his friends didn’t seem worried about it. Neil was even encouraging the relationship, making Dipper wonder if he knew something about Norman that Dipper didn’t. Norman hadn’t said anything about attempting to get a permanent teaching position. As much as he was a great teacher, he was an artist at heart. Dipper also knew Norman missed tattooing. Recently, he had been regaling Dipper with stories from Spilled Ink, the tattoo shop he worked at in Massachusetts. He reminisced about his friends, Mitch and Aggie, the clientele, and the general relaxed feel of the shop. It wasn’t something Dipper had ever understood. He’d never felt compelled to get a tattoo and never entered a shop. The selfish greedy part of Dipper wanted to grip onto Norman and never let go and demand he remain in Gravity Falls. That thought scared Dipper a little. He didn’t think his feelings were that strong. However, he knew that if Norman wanted to go back to the East Coast, Dipper would do nothing to stop him.


	11. Chapter 11

Norman had thirty minutes before he had to leave for Dipper’s parents house. The Boston Cream Pie he made earlier that day was waiting in the fridge. He was dressed in his nicest pair of jeans and a plain black v-neck shirt his sister had given him. She claimed it made his tits look good. Dipper had said it would be casual, but Norman wanted to play it safe. He didn’t necessarily want to impress Dipper’s parents, but he did want them to be comfortable with their son dating him. The assumption was that because Dipper and Mabel were chill, their parents would be similarly non-judgmental and relaxed. But, Norman did know people who were hyper-laid back and easy going because their parents were controlling and overbearing. Norman wanted to be acceptable to either option.

Norman ran his fingers through his hair one last time, grabbed his jacket, and the pie before texting Dipper that he was heading out. The drive over was honestly the most nerve wracking portion of the night, trying to prevent the pie from flying off the seat and splattering all over his car. He followed Dipper’s carefully written instructions to the Pines’ parents’ house. It was a two story house with blue siding, and some kind of flowering bushes lining the walk to the front door. Dipper came out of the house upon hearing Norman’s car door close. He looked cute in a knitted navy blue sweater. “There’s still time for you to turn around and run.” Dipper said only partially joking. Norman ignored the comment in favor of kissing Dipper hello. They hadn’t seen each other since before the long weekend started. “My mom’s been dying to meet you, so I’m apologizing in advance for any weird questions she asks.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” The shared one more kiss before Dipper finally opened the front door. The first thing Norman smelled was the food--stuffing, garlic potatoes, Macaroni and cheese, buttered green beans, turkey. It had been a while since he’d actually sat down for a home cooked Thanksgiving meal. Some years he’d swing by his sister’s house for a couple hours, maybe stop by his parents house to say hello to his mom, but most holidays he spent with his friends and take-out. He gave Dipper the pie while he took his shoes and jacket off.

“Is that Norman?”

“Yes.” Dipper led Norman from the entryway to the kitchen. The house was open, and he could see where the dining table had already been set with fall themed dishes. Mrs. Pines was a woman of average height with brown hair and a soft, rounded face much like her children’s. Mr. Pines was only slightly taller. His hair grey, and face equally as round as his wife. Norman shook Mr. Pines’ hand and hugged Mrs. Pines, accepting her compliments on the pie. He also gave Mabel a hug due to her scandalized pouting about never having received a hug from Norman. Pacifica remained seated at the table, giving Norman a polite wave. “Can I get you anything to drink? I think we have Jack Daniel’s and Coke.”

“Yes, please.” Norman pressed a kiss to his temple before letting him walk away. Pacifica made a very sarcastic ‘aww’ sound.

“Dipper said you’re from Massachusetts.” Mrs. Pines went back to draining the green beans as she continued to talk with Norman.

“Yeah, Blithe Hollow. It’s about an hour north of Boston.” 

“And you met Neil there.”

“Yeah, we both went to Boston.”

“Neil is such a sweetheart.” Norman nodded, watching Mabel and Mr. Pines settle back at the kitchen table to finish their game of Bananagrams. Her and Pacifica’s fingers intertwining on top of the table. “Gravity Falls must have been quite a shock.”

“A little bit. It’s mostly the atmosphere. The East Coast, especially the northern portion, has a specific type of rudeness not found in any other part of the country.” Mrs. Pines laughed with her whole body like Mabel like the idea of polite laughter didn’t exist. 

The timer on the oven then went off, and Mrs. Pines announced that the food was done. They dished up buffet style with Norman at the front of the line. He was declared the most visitor, since Pacifica had been a part of many family dinners. He took the spot in the back corner, next to Dipper, and across from Pacifica. Mabel and Mrs. Pines took the two heads of the table.

“As is tradition I will say a few words.” Mabel stood up and cleared her throat. “Everyone knows that Columbus was a giant jerk-face, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to be thankful for stuff while we recognize the cruelty and injustice done to the people already living here. Fuck Christopher Columbus!’

“Fuck Christopher Columbus.” The rest of the table repeated, raising their glasses for the toast. 

Despite the heavy subject matter of Mabel’s speech, the mood didn’t darken. Mr. Pines immediately began catching up with Pacifica about an article they had both read. Norman tucked into his food, making sure to compliment and thank Mrs. Pines for the food. It was interesting to listen to the familiar conversation between the four Pines and Pacifica. They had inside jokes and specific people to share updates on, such as Pacifica’s “Nice Grandma”. Norman appreciated a family meal without any yelling and storming off and cursing. Mabel and Dipper argued a little in a good-natured, sibling way. It never got hostile. Dipper squeezed Norman’s knee under the table to get his attention, shooting Norman an apologetic look for not including Norman in the conversation. That, of course, drew attention.

“So, you’re a tattoo artist?” Mr. Pines turned to Norman, looking genuinely interested. 

“Yeah, almost five years now. I started a couple months after graduating college.”

“How’d you get into that?”

“I spent a lot of time in high school with older kids who had tattoos. I gave myself a stick and poke when I was fifteen and that sort of started me on that path. I actually went into art school thinking I was going to do illustrations for books or digital art in magazines. I just happened to meet my friend Agatha my senior year. She was lined up with an apprenticeship at a shop near the college. I annoyed her teacher enough that he broke down and added me on.” 

“I heard Neil was the one who got you hired.”

“He sent me an application as a joke, but then my shop owner, Mitch, found out and started actually trying to convince me to do it. I was honestly surprised when I got hired.”

“The school was desperate.” Dipper mumbled behind the rim of his glass. “But, the kids love him.”

“Have you thought about staying on?” Mrs. Pines asked.

“No, I’d have to get a teaching license and would have to go back to school to get a teaching degree.” Norman could see Dipper starting to fidget out of the corner of his eye. “But, I’ve been talking to a friend of Mitch’s who owns a shop about a half-hour from here. He thinks he could have a spot for me in June.” Norman could feel Dipper’s eyes boring into the side of his face. He hadn’t said anything to Dipper about the potential arrangement. He hadn’t wanted to make Dipper feel pressured or uncomfortable. It also was still mostly talk. Norman had wanted something more concrete before talking to Dipper.

“Well that’s good.” Mrs. Pines said while gathering dishes. “Is anyone ready for dessert? We’ve got Apple Pie, vanilla and chocolate ice cream, and Norman’s Boston Creme Pie.”


	12. Chapter 12

“I like him.” Dipper’s mom stated once Dipper came back inside from sending Norman off. “When I heard you had a boyfriend, I wasn’t expecting him to look like that, but he seems like a very nice young man.” Dipper absently nodded along. He had kind of anticipated his mom asking about Norman’s future plans, but he had no idea that Norman would have anything like a potential plan. Dipper figured it would be more like a ‘we’ll see what life brings’ kind of answer. Norman had done an excellent job at keeping his talks with the shop owner a secret from Dipper which made him a little jealous; although he understood why. The future had yet to be something they actually talked about. Norman was most definitely not going to be returning to teaching after the end of the current school year. All of his family and friends were located back in Massachusetts. Dipper figured they’d try a long distance relationship, but without an end date it would probably fall apart. If Norman did get a spot at the tattoo shop, that wouldn’t be a problem. Granted that depended almost entirely on the two still being together by the beginning of summer. 

“Did you know about Norman talking to that guy?” Pacifica plopped on the couch next to Dipper.

“No. We haven’t really talked about what’s going to happen at the end of the school year. He probably didn’t say anything because he didn’t want me to be uncomfortable. We’ve only been together for a couple months. It’s a little early to be planning for the future together.”

“Not necessarily.” Pacifica flicked a loose hair from her face. “It’s not like he’s planning a wedding and preparing to adopt five kids. He’s just setting it up so he can stick around, which I think is really sweet, so don’t be mad at him.”

“I’m not mad. It’s just that I’d really like him to stay in the area.”

“You should tell him that.”

\-----------

The Tuesday they were back at school, Dipper ended up at Norman’s room before school started. Dipper had to prepare clay for the Intro to Art kids. They hadn’t said anything to each other yet despite the fact that their texting had been completely normal. “I wanted to wait to tell you until I had an offer for the position. Right now everything is up in the air and having the possibility of it not working out might be a lot to deal with.” Norman extracted his upper body from the giant bag of clay he was cutting up in order to make eye-contact with Dipper. “I wasn’t going to accept the position without talking to you.I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable or feel pressured or something.”

“I know.” Dipper gave Norman a solid pat on the back, leaving his hand to sit heavily on Norman’s shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting you to be so honest with my parents.”

“Hey, I wanted them to like me. Dodging their questions wouldn’t look good, especially that one. ‘What are your plans if you don’t teach next year?’ ‘oh, I don’t know yet, but I’m sure I’ll find something.’ They’d think I was an idiot and reckless. I was already fighting the tattoo stigma.”

“My parents don’t care that you have tattoos. You weren’t exactly the first person they thought of when they found out I had a boyfriend, but that doesn’t make them not like you.”

“That’s besides the point.”

“My mom said you were a ‘very nice young man’. My dad didn’t really say anything but that’s essentially a sign of approval.” Dipper let Norman out his grasp to wash the clay from his hands. However, the artist quickly came back to crowd Dipper against the counter.

“Letting you know that I’ve been making plans to stay in the area by making a speech during Thanksgiving dinner was probably the worst way I could have done it. But, I’m also not ashamed to admit that I’m a little bit in love with you and would like to be with you for a long time to come.” Norman’s slightly damp hands were definitely leaving wet spots on the waist of Dipper’s pants, but he couldn’t make himself care once Norman leaned in for a deep kiss. Making out in a classroom with the door wide open would usually give Dipper palpitations, but Norman had said he was ‘a little bit in love’, and Dipper was perfectly fine basking in that.

“I’m a little bit in love with you too, you know.” Dipper whispered as Norman pressed a series of kisses against Dipper’s neck. He was careful not to bite or suck and leave marks; although, the way both of their hair was slightly disheveled would probably give something away. 

“I just wanted to let you know that the kids are starting to arrive. Might want to straighten yourself up.” Coraline’s voice startled the two men apart. Norman didn’t really bother to straighten himself out, just ran a hand through his hair, but Dipper felt like his students would immediately be able to see through him despite the fact that he looked perfectly presentable once he got back to his room. He could still feel Norman’s lips on his neck and constantly checked the camera in his phone to make sure he wasn’t actually covered in hickies. It didn’t help that Coraline had taken a picture before making her presence known and had sent it to the group chat. None of the women were above making the room as uncomfortable as possible. Neil just sent a thumbs-up emoji before going silent. Dipper would have to instate a rule that there would be no unprofessional kissing before work. It hadn't been a problem up to that point, and if Norman knew it made Dipper uncomfortable he would stop, but Dipper didn't want to give much wiggle room because once one social construct was defied it was easy to defy others. They had just been overwhelmed by a serious conversation regarding their relationship and had forgotten themselves. It wouldn't happen again, even though Dipper could tell that the memory would replay again and again in his dreams and most likely go even further into forbidden territory. Anytime he and Norman were intimate, it would feature in Dipper's thoughts until the next incident.


	13. Chapter 13

Norman quickly learned about the stress of the weeks leading up to winter break. Gravity Falls High School prided themselves on having finals before winter break, so the students could enjoy their two weeks off of school. That meant that the last couple of weeks of the semester were a grind. Norman got off a little easier than most of the other teacher’s because the finals for his class were all final projects. He essentially just wanted his students to show him that they had learned something during the semester. It could be a drawing, a painting, a sculpture, anything as long as it was something they were the most proud of. Finals sapped all of Dipper’s time. He had to finish grading quizzes and papers before creating study guides. He used variations of past tests instead of rewriting new ones every semester. Norman felt bad for asking for a couple of hours of Dipper’s extra time, but the history teacher also needed a good break. Mabel had texted Norman on Thursday evening saying that she was going to kick Dipper out of the house on Saturday, and it would be Norman’s job to keep him preoccupied. It wasn’t a difficult task since the two men essentially had a routine at that point. The only dampener on the plan was the conversation Norman had with his mother at seven in the morning.

Norman was aggressively cutting chicken for their lunch when Dipper came in. Despite all the stress he looked well rested and greeted Norman with a bright smile and a kiss. Norman wasn’t able to reach the same amount of excitement. “What’s wrong?” Dipper took his usual spot near the dishwasher, where he could be near Norman while he cooked but not in the way.

“My mom called this morning. It’s nothing.” Norman knew Dipper was curious about his family. He had only given the man the most basic information regarding his sister and parents. Dipper vaguely knew that the son was not on the best terms with the parents, but knew very little beyond that. Dipper had shown interest in listening to Norman bitch and moan about his family during some of their movie nights, but it wasn’t something Norman wanted to put on Dipper.

“It’s obviously not nothing.” Norman silently stirred the pasta. “Can you at least tell me if it was good or bad news?”

“My mom invited me to Christmas this year. My sister, her husband, and my niece are going to be there, and my mom wants to have the whole family there.” Norman shot Dipper a sort-of-helpless look. “I love my mom, but I haven’t been to a family Christmas since college. I normally just drop gifts off and run. If it was just my mom I’d probably be more willing to go, but I just don’t think I can handle my dad.” Norman was glad that Dipper abandoned his spot out of the way in order to pull Norman into a side hug. “Apparently my sister has been telling my niece about me, and she is super excited to meet her cool uncle covered in pictures. I haven’t seen her in person in a couple years.” Dipper let go of Norman so he could finish putting the Chicken Alfredo together. He didn’t go far though. “I’d really like to see her and stop by the old shop.”

“But.” Dipper prompted.

“But, I don’t really want to deal with my dad’s bullshit. Here, everything’s ready. I’ll grab you a drink.” They ended up on the couch with the new Twilight Zone playing on the television they weren’t watching. 

“So, is your dad not a fan of you being a tattoo artist?”

“More or less.” Norman watched Dipper relax when he answered the question instead of deflecting. “He was never a huge fan of my friends, which I understand. They weren’t exactly the best influences. But, he never supported my art. He’s a classic man’s man. He always wanted me to get into sports. He tolerated me during high school, but once he found out I was going to school for art he went off. It’s not the most stable field, and it doesn’t provide an exorbitant amount of money, but I’ve been fairly successful.” Norman found himself relaying the story with a kind of numbness. He always thought he would break down and cry when he told Dipper about his relationship with his dad. But, he was just tired and over it. “We had a big fight my second year of college, and he essentially kicked me out. That caused a lot of issues between my parents. My mom is an extremely loving person, and it tore her apart to watch me empty my room. I don’t blame her for staying with my dad.”

“Is your sister supportive?”

“Yeah, Courtney’s great. I probably spend the most amount of time with her.” They sat in silence for a moment. Norman realized Dipper was quietly tracing patterns onto his arm in an attempt to be comforting. It worked. “He’s gotten better in the last couple of years. I’ve started to make a name for myself around Boston. But, there’s still always this fog of disappointment whenever I hear about my dad.”

“I don’t blame you for not wanting to deal with that. Holidays are already stressful without family drama. But, if you decide to go back, I’ll do everything I can to help.”

“You don’t need to do that. You have enough to worry about with finals and your own family’s Christmas/Hanukkah amalgamation. I’m an adult and should be able to handle my own father.”

“Maybe, but the whole point of being in a relationship is supporting each other. You know like you do with me when I’m losing my mind about grading and literally anything else. Anyway, if you decide to stay here, you are more than welcome to spend the holidays with my family. You probably wouldn’t want to stay at my parents house, but you could definitely join us for festivities. My sister has a list of obnoxious traditions she’d love to drag you into.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Norman turned to take Dipper's empty plate and set it on the side table. "We can stop talking about my fucked up family now. Mabel told me to help you relax, and I'm determined to complete that request." Norman could tell that Dipper wasn't pleased about his diversion from the topic at hand, but he let it slide. They had had few opportunities to be alone recently, and after the mutual half-love confession Dipper had talked about being more comfortable taking their sexual relationship a step further. Norman had wanted to get his mouth on his boyfriend for a while, and as soon as Dipper gave him permission he was dragging Dipper's jeans down his pale thighs. 

"Norman!" Dipper gasped; his hands flailing around as Norman attached his mouth to the soft inside of Dipper's thighs. 

"Shhh. Just lay back and relax." Norman said before leaving a trail of love bites to the apex of Dipper's legs. Dipper flinched as Norman wrapped his right hand around the base of Dipper's dick. "Let me know if you need me to stop, and don't be afraid to pull my hair."

It had been a while since Norman had given a blow job, so he permitted himself to go a little slower than usual. He kept his left hand on Dipper's hips, holding them down, and began giving the head of Dipper's dick some delicate kitten licks. He was careful to let his tongue piercing graze the heated skin every once in a while in order to coax out a couple of gasps. Once his mouth was sufficiently saliva filled, Norman created a tight ring with his lips and fed Dipper's dick through it. The new sensation and tightness made him moan. Norman slowly took Dipper in little by little, making sure to keep his hand moving to stimulate the shaft that wasn't in his mouth. Eventually Norman felt comfortable taking Dipper all the way in. He wasn't excessively long, but it definitely tested his gag-reflex. The feeling of Norman swallowing around Dipper finally broke him. He cried out and twisted his fingers into Norman's hair. Norman wasn't able to prevent the sudden harsh buck of Dipper's hips, and he found himself briefly gagging on Dipper's cock. It was a feeling Norman hadn't experienced in a while. He had forgotten how much he kind of loved it. 

"Sorry, sorry." Dipper panted as Norman pulled off.

"No need to apologize." Norman's voice was already a little wrecked. He was probably a sight to see with drool dripping down his chin and bruised lips. "You can fuck my mouth if you want to."

"What?"

"Hmm, just do what feels good. I can take it." Norman sunk all the way back down again, so his nose was pressed into Dipper's brown curls, and he took his hands off of Dipper's hips. Dipper wasn't nearly commanding enough to seriously make Norman gag for it, but after a couple of minutes of Norman setting the pace, Dipper let himself go and provided three solid thrusts before ejaculating down Norman’s throat. The final thrust that had Dipper pressing Norman’s head into his hips for a solid fifteen seconds brought a few prickling tears to Norman’s eyes. 

Dipper kind of melted once he came down from the orgasm. His eyes drooped closed and his fingers went completely limp in Norman’s hair. He didn’t say anything as Norman pulled his pants back up. He finally spoke once Norman stood up. “If you give me a couple minutes I can give you a hand.”

“No need. Just stay right there.” Norman lowered his pants and boxers before straddling Dipper’s thighs. Norman had always really liked sucking cock, and a few quick tugs along with Dipper’s unguarded blissed-out face got him off quickly. “I think I may have put you through a little too much.”

“You put ME through a little too much. You just-” He trailed off out of embarrassment. 

“I’m gonna’ clean up and put the dishes away. Pick out a movie or something.”


	14. Chapter 14

It wasn’t necessarily a surprise when Norman told Dipper that he would be returning to Massachusetts for the holiday. His pained expression and the way his fists were tensed like he was waiting for a fight didn’t leave the best impression for how the trip would go. Dipper wanted the rift between Norman and his father to be healed. It saddened Dipper immensely to know that his boyfriend actively avoided going home and spending time with his family. It felt incredibly lonely, and almost made Dipper irrationally angry at Mr. Babcock. As was promised, Dipper did everything he could to support Norman. He helped Norman decide how long to go and which flight to book. Mrs. Babcock insisted that Norman stay at the house, but Dipper still made sure that Norman knew where the nearest hotel was or if a friend would be willing to host him. There was a high chance that the visit could go bad. Staying in the house after a serious verbal altercation increased the probability of physical violence and a call to the police significantly. The most difficult task, however, was helping Norman pick out a gift for his father. Mrs. Babcock made it clear that she expected her boys to at least be civil, if amiability was an impossibility.

In the weekend before finals, Dipper dragged Norman to two separate Target’s, a Best Buy, a Walmart, and finally a Home Depot in order to find a gift for Mr. Babcock. Norman behaved more like a five year old than an almost thirty year old while they shopped. He would drag his feet getting out of the car and adopted a surly attitude. Dipper understood struggling to shop for someone who wasn’t exactly friendly, but it was also the choice that Norman had made, so if he didn’t want to buy a gift for his father he should cancel his flights and call his mom. Dipper hated having to scold Dipper from the passenger seat, but the moping and sulking was grating when paired with the Christmas Capitalism that hit him in the face with every turn. A warm meal and a couple soft apologies left Norman in a much more peaceful mood and took them to Home Depot where Norman picked out a nice but not overly expensive power drill. “Alright, I think this is it.” Norman wasn’t quite able to keep the defeat from his voice. “Do you need anything while we’re out?”

“No.” Dipper tugged Norman down to kiss his temple.

“Good. I want to go back to my place and do something completely devoid of Christmas Spirit.” Dipper laced his fingers with his boyfriend’s and allowed himself to be pulled to the checkout counter then out of the building. “I’ve already wrapped my mom and sister’s gifts, so we can finish those last few levels of Heave Ho. I can wrap my dad’s gift once I get to Mass.; I’d get the same reaction from him if it was wrapped or thrown in a plastic grocery bag.” Dipper wanted to offhandedly mention that being the first one to extend a hand, be the bigger man, might make his father easier to deal with, but the only thing opening his mouth would do was further sour Norman’s mood. So, he hummed along to the radio and let his hand comfortingly rest on Norman’s thigh as he drove.

\------------

Typically the evening of the Friday of finals week would be spent at Mo’s. They’d all take turns buying rounds of shots or beer and gossip about the events of the ending semester. However, Norman was leaving for Massachusetts early Saturday morning, so the two excused themselves with promises that they would attend a different night out before the start of the next semester. However, they couldn’t get out of the dinner without a few suggestive comments thrown their way. In all reality they were going to order an extra large supreme pizza, exchange gifts, and Dipper wanted Norman to go to bed early so he’d be more reasonable the next morning. It was an unlikely goal if Norman’s own suggestive comments over the last week said anything. It had been kind of fun to gently sext each other while laying in bed at night.

Dipper was anxious about exchanging gifts. Shopping with Norman had given the man a careless appearance, which Dipper knew wasn’t true. Norman was incredibly attentive. They ended up sprawled across the floor after eating too much pizza. Dipper pretty much crawled over to his bag to retrieve his gifts, and Norman complained immensely before stalking off to his bedroom. Dipper’s worries ended up being worthless. Norman gifted him a painted recreation of a picture Mabel had taken of them. They were in the Pines’ kitchen leaning against the counter. Dipper had a huge shit eating grin on his face while Norman was caught in the middle of a belly laugh. Norman also gave him a book about the history of tattooing. Norman got a knitted sweater from Pacifica and Mabel that was black with red accents near the collar and the sleeves. Dipper got him a new set of charcoal pencils and a secret second gift that Dipper wasn’t sure how Norman would respond to. Dipper had been out on another shopping excursion except with his sister this time. They were in a jewelry store because Mabel bought Pacifica a charm for some kind of fancy bracelet, and Dipper was attempting to keep an associate from approaching him when he spotted the ring. Solid matte black with a ring of shiny black obsidian running in the center, it immediately reminded Dipper of Norman. Buying a ring as a gift was dangerous in young relationships, and Norman didn’t really wear jewelry that wasn’t pierced through his body, but it was within Dipper’s price range.

“I know this is a little dangerous, but I saw it when I was out with my sister, and I thought you would like it.” Dipper pressed the small black velvet box into Norman’s hand. He raised a curious eyebrow but opened the box without hesitating. “I know you don’t really wear jewelry.” 

“I like it.” Norman slid the ring onto the middle finger of his right hand with ease. “Thank you.” The kiss they shared was a little awkward since they were side by side and half sitting and half laying down. “I’m going to miss you. And, I know I said I wasn’t ready for you to meet my family yet, but it’d be a lot easier if you were with me.”

“You know you can call me whenever you need to.”

“I know.” Norman pressed his forehead against Dipper’s. “So, this might be a little forward of me, but I need to be up super early tomorrow morning, and I have way too much energy. You wanna’ help tire me out?” Dipper’s mouth went dry as a playful glint came to Norman’s eyes. He knew the likelihood of Norman proposing sex that evening, and that morning when he jerked off in the shower Dipper had been prepared for that. In the moment, however, he found his anticipation mixing with his nerves.

“Yes.” The confirmation came out as a whisper, and Dipper wasn’t sure if he could speak louder if he had wanted to.

“You don’t have to.”

“No.” Dipper cleared his throat. “I want to, but I’ve uh we’re probably going to have to go so slow.”

Dipper had been in Norman’s bed before. It was soft and spacious enough for two people and a lot scarier when Dipper was underneath Norman in just his boxers. The smooth kissing was just like any other time except it wasn’t because if Dipper arched just so he could feel the heaviness of Norman’s dick through his boxers which was new. “How are you feeling?” Norman angled his head so his lips pressed to the juncture of Dipper’s jaw and neck. It was a sensitive spot and made Dipper gasp.

“Good.” Dipper’s hands were pressed to Norman’s back where he could feel Norman’s muscles tensing from holding himself up. 

“Do you want to keep going?” 

“Yes.” Dipper let one hand slide up Norman’s body to tangle in his hair. He could have never imagined how good it felt to have someone’s lips on him. It was a mix between a tickling sensation and a sharp sting whenever Norman would nip at his skin. “I want you in me.” Dipper had been thinking about what he was going to say once things escalated for the past couple of days. He didn’t want to use the word ‘fuck’ because it was their first time having sex, and he didn’t want to say ‘make love’ for the same reason. He figured he was an adult and should be able to ask for what he wants.

“Are you sure? I’ll do my best, but it can be a little painful and uncomfortable.” Norman had brought his face back up to be even with Dipper’s.

“Yeah, I’ve uh fingered myself before. I have a good idea what it’s going to be like.”

Norman moaned, pressing one more kiss to Dipper’s lips before pulling away. He reached into his bedside table and brought out lube and a condom. “If it’s too much or you need to stop, say so, alright? I don’t want to hurt you or have this be a bad experience.”

“I will. Now, what do you need me to do?”

“Lift your hips and look sexy.” Dipper laughed but did as instructed. Norman pushed a pillow under his lower back. “Someday I’m going to rim you and fully appreciate your bubble butt.”

Dipper was surprisingly relaxed as Norman began preparing him. It was obviously different than when Dipper did it to himself. Norman’s fingers were thinner and longer. He was also able to get a better angle. He was also very good at using his mouth to distract Dipper. Norman’s tongue and it’s stud jumped around from laving at a nipple to sucking on his collarbone. He was considerate as Dipper knew he would be, checking with Dipper before adding each finger. When Norman finally removed his fingers, Dipper felt like he had been ready for hours, but he trusted Norman’s judgment. Like Norman’s fingers, his cock was long and thin. It proudly jutted out from his body as Norman moved into place. The push in was a slow and constant pressure that was something Dipper had definitely never experienced before but wasn’t altogether unpleasant. And, when Norman was fully seated inside of him, he felt like his body was humming. They started slow with careful even thrusts that pulled and pushed at Dipper’s walls deliciously but wasn’t quite enough. Once Dipper signalled that all of the discomfort had vanished Norman picked up the pace. Norman used various techniques; sometimes he would roll his hips in smooth thrusts, sometimes he would press his hips flush to Dipper’s ass and circle his hips. When he was closing in on his orgasm, Norman’s thrusts were short and erratic jackhammering into Dipper’s prostate. “Touch yourself.” Norman instructed, trying to stave off his orgasm to make sure Dipper came first, head thrown back in please and mouth hanging open.

The pull out was awkward and left Dipper feeling like he didn’t know how to position his hips, but Norman took care of the clean-up and helped Dipper under the blankets. “I’m just going to make sure the door is locked, I’ll be right back.” Dipper was asleep before Norman got back into bed.


	15. Chapter 15

Cars had always been a neutral experience in Norman’s life. He had never been one for long car rides, and when he was in Boston skateboard was his preferred mode of travel. Cars took people places. After leaving home he hadn’t had anywhere he wanted to go. However, sitting in the passenger seat of the Pine’s car and staring at the entrance to the airport gave the vehicle a sense of coziness and warmth that it had never had before. Like a bed on a cold winter morning, Norman did not want to get out. Norman racked his brain for anything he could claim to have forgotten. A dish towel his mother had let him borrow during his move, a jacket that Mitch had lent him, anything that would convince Dipper to race him back to his apartment, so he could spend half an hour looking for whatever item would cause him to miss his flight. He came up with nothing believable due to Dipper helping him pack; his cute affinity for lists made it near impossible to forget anything. “Do you really not want to go that bad?”

“I’m just worried about this going to shit. I know we have back-up plans, but it’s just exhausting.”

“It’s not too late for me to go with you. There are still empty seats on the flight, and I could easily get a hotel room.” Norman shook his head as the numbers on the clock changed. “Text me every day, and please get a room in Boston if you need one.” They shared a last long kiss, possibly the hundredth that morning, before Norman slipped out of the car and instantly lost all of his warmth. He didn’t turn to watch Dipper drive away; it would have broken his resolution. In a week he would be back in Gravity Falls, cuddling with Dipper and preparing for the legendary New Year’s party. Those thoughts were the only forces pushing his body to put one foot in front of the other until he was seated on the plane along with a bunch of other people traveling back to their families for the holiday.

\---------------

“Hey, little brother!” Norman rolled his eyes as he chucked his suitcase into the back seat of Courtney’s baby blue SUV. “How was the flight?”

“Long and loud. I don’t know where the kid was, but it wouldn’t shut the fuck up. Is Tiff that obnoxious?”

“She’s four.” Courtney’s blunt tone was meant to convey incredulity at Norman’s statement, but he just blinked at her. “You’ll be fine.” The drive away from the airport wasn’t bad. The traffic was almost exactly like he remembered, and his sister’s honks lightened his mood ever so slightly. “Mom is excited to see you again. She deep cleaned the guest bedroom for you.” Norman couldn’t keep his small smile from slipping slightly. He had some great memories in that bedroom and had it perfectly decorated with posters and art before he was kicked out. 

“How is Conor?” Norman fumbled with the radio dial.

“He’s good, excited to see you again.” Norman snorted remembering the first time he met Conor. It was the week of their wedding, and Norman had been invited to brunch because it was the only time his father wouldn’t be around. He was a six foot tall Irish guy who worked at a car dealership and looked like he was on whatever stuff they gave Captain America. “He recently convinced his company to start a soccer league, so he’ll probably want to tell you about that.”

“Of course he did.” Norman liked Conor. He treated his sister right and had trusted Norman with his first tattoo.

“How’s the new job going?” 

“It’s going.” Norman rubbed the back of his head and tapped the screen of his phone that displayed Dipper’s response to Norman’s arrival text. “The kids are pretty cool, and the other teacher’s have sort of taken me under their wing.” Norman cleared his throat. “I uh met a guy through work.” Courtney’s eyebrows rocketed towards her hairline but she kept her eyes on the road. She had been his biggest supporter when it came to attempting to settle down instead of running through various flings. “He’s a history teacher.”

“Really? What’s his name?”

“Dipper Pines. His twin sister Mabel also teaches at the school.”

“How serious is it?”

Norman felt his face heat up. “We’ve only officially been together for a couple of months. I spent Thanksgiving with him and his family.”

“So, fairly serious.”

“I’ve been looking into getting a job at a shop near Gravity Falls, so we wouldn’t have to do long distance once the school year is over.” 

At that information Courtney did take her eyes off the road. She also removed her right hand from the steering wheel to sock Norman in the shoulder. “That’s great, Norm!”

\--------------

The drive to his parents’ house felt shorter than it used to be, although that may have been due to the mild dread. Sandra was standing by the front door when they pulled into the driveway and ran to pull Norman into a hug despite only being in slippers. Conor was waiting for him just on the inside of the door, pulling him into a firm hug before handing him off to Tiffany. Perry never moved from his spot on the couch where he was watching football; something Norman wasn’t sure if he was happy or disappointed about. A hug was out of the question, but a grunt would have at least been an acknowledgment of his presence. Norman wanted to scream. Once Norman was done situating his stuff, he returned to the living room where he recruited Tiffany to help him shove the gifts he bought under the tree. It was the same tree he had decorated with Courtney when they were younger. They used to each get a side of the tree to sling ornaments onto. Tiffany had obviously been in charge of the decorating because the ornaments were bunched around the bottom branches. Courtney and her family didn’t hang around for long after the simple dinner they ate. The silence of the house became deafening once the trio drove away. Perry had yet to even look at Norman. 

The silence lasted throughout Christmas Eve, and Norman gladly left the house shortly after breakfast to hang-out with Agatha and Mitch at Agatha’s apartment. It looked almost exactly the same as the last time Norman was there for a movie night. He sunk into her shitty old couch like a hug. “Your dad being an asshole?” Agatha handed Norman a beer before throwing herself into her giant purple bean bag.

“When isn’t he?” Norman popped the tab. “I’m just glad my mom hasn’t forced us into some kind of family game night yet. I think it would actually kill me.”

“At least that makes Oregon feel like an oasis, right?”

“Oh yeah, totally. I’ve settled down, got myself a wife, and had two kids.”

“That bad?” 

“No. Teaching definitely could have been worse, and my coworker’s aren’t too bad.”

“You’ve stayed in contact with Robbie, right? You would be a good fit for his shop.” Mitch interjected, pointing an accusatory finger.

“Yeah, my boyfriend has been on me about it as well, so I talk to him fairly often.”

“Good. Wait-”

“You have a boyfriend!” Agatha almost spilled her drink in her surprise. “Norman 'commitment issues’ Babcock goes to Oregon and gets himself a boyfriend.”

“I don’t have commitment issues. Settling down in Boston just made me a little antsy. Anyway,” Norman waved away his friends’ looks, “tell me about the shop. I heard you have another apprentice.”

“Yeah, as soon as I get rid of one Agatha ropes me in with another.”

“Wybie isn’t nearly as bad as Norman was. He doesn’t even complain when he has to clean the shop.” Agatha easily sank back into her seat, willing to let Norman off the hook for the moment. He was scheduled to guest spot at the shop for a couple days before he flew out, so she’d have plenty of chances to ambush him about his boyfriend then.


	16. Chapter 16

Christmas morning Norman woke up when a bony knee landed in the soft area between his ribcage and his hips. He released a groan as Tiffany found a better position to shake Norman. “Come on uncle Norman, you sleep too much. Grandma made pancakes, and mommy says you won’t get any if you don’t get your butt out of bed.”

“Oh, did she?” Norman blinked at his niece who was putting all of her weight on Norman’s chest. “Well, why don’t you tell your mom that I’ll be right down and to save the biggest pancake for me.” Norman released another huff of pain when Tiffany launched herself off his body. The first thing he did was reach for his phone. He had only “slept in” till nine which meant Dipper would still be dead to the world. He sent a message for his boyfriend to find later. The next step was to relieve himself, then find pants. 

“And, he lives!” Courtney cheered, making Tiffany giggle. Norman accepted a plate from his mom, giving her a soft ‘merry Christmas’ and a hug in exchange. “How are Mitch and Agatha doing?”

“Good. Took in another apprentice, another sign that Mitch isn’t nearly as much of a hardass as he likes to pretend to be.”

“Hey, watch the language.” Courtney shot back. “We’d like to avoid being called by the daycare coordinator about my four year old using vulgar language.” Conor and Perry coming in from the garage interrupted the snarky remark dangling on Norman’s tongue. “Finish your pancakes. Tiffany was prepared to open everyone’s gifts before we sent her up to get you.”

As far as Babcock Christmases went it could have been worse. There were no verbal or physical altercations. Perry did his best to engage with everyone else except Norman but still released a rushed ‘thank you’ when he opened his gift from Norman. It was fun to watch Tiffany open gifts with a level of excitement that had been missing from Norman’s life for the last few years. Somehow, she managed to be equally thrilled about Norman receiving gift cards as she was about unwrapping a set of new coloring books. It was especially funny when she didn’t understand the gift, like when Courtney and Conor opened the certificate to a bed and breakfast Norman had gotten them. Tiffany’s constant eagerness wore her out quickly once all of the gift giving was finished, so Norman found himself left in the living room with Conor and his father while his mother and sister tried to convince the four year old to take a nap before she became overtired and cranky. It’s a Wonderful Life playing on the TV was the only break in the silence, and Norman felt bad that Conor had to deal with the tension between father and son. Norman had hoped that the drill gift would provide a natural opening for a potential reconciliatory conversation and had made no back-up plan. He could hear Dipper’s voice in the back of his head telling him to be the bigger man. “Court said you started a work league.” Norman knew he was being a coward by starting a conversation with Conor instead of just talking to his father, but he feared that if he started a direct conversation with his dad, he would end up saying the wrong thing and starting a fight.

“Yeah. I had been subbing for a friend of mine and decided to see if any of the guys would be up for a team. It’s nothing super competitive.” Norman tried to keep Conor talking as much as possible because Perry liked Conor and even though his eyes were locked onto the television screen and he hadn’t said a word, he was actually paying attention. However, that’s not how catching up conversations worked, and the focus soon switched to Norman. He talked about acclimating to Gravity Falls and work as well as the potential for Norman to remain in Gravity Falls after the school year ended. That announcement actually got some kind of reaction from Perry.

“Wow.” Conor leaned forward. “Already lining up jobs.”

“Yeah, it’s one of the only shops in the area, so it would allow me to grow my name. There’s a lot of competition in Boston and a lot of guys with reputation.”

“Norman that’s great!” Norman hadn’t realized that his mom and his sister had come back downstairs. 

“It’s not official yet, but things are looking good.”

“I didn’t think you’d be staying out there when you left.”

“Me either.” Norman made eye-contact with Courtney over his father’s head. Perry had never bluntly expressed homophobia, but his traditional views about masculinity and femininity made Dipper nervous. He decided to wait to make the announcement.

\-----------------

Norman stood at his old work station, listening to Mitch, Agatha, and Wybie prepare the shop for opening. It had been a while since he had been in a tattoo shop, and he was already itching to get a machine in his hands. For the last days of his vacation he had arranged a guest spot at Spilled Ink. He would be incharge of walk-ins because it was such short notice. His regulars didn’t have any time to schedule a consultation. 

“Do you think you’ll remember how to do this? I know it’s been a while.” Agatha smirked at Norman from where she was reclined behind the counter. Norman just grinned in response, taking a spot on the god-awful zebra print couch that made up the waiting area. He was in a good mood. Dipper had called that morning, the gas station had his favorite chocolate doughnuts, and his dad had actually been pleasant. It was the most minute change in behavior, but his dad had actually made eye-contact with him as Norman left the house. It seemed that what he had going for him in Gravity Falls was up to snuff, career wise.

The work wasn’t the most interesting. He was mainly doing flash or small line designs, nothing that provided adequate opportunity for creativity. It was like he was back in his apprentencing days. But, it was worth it because at least he was tattooing. On the end of the second day, Norman asked Agatha to take some pictures that he could send to Dipper. She ended up stealing his phone and recording a video where she spent most of the time making fun of Norman. The woman he was tattooing found it incredibly amusing, and luckily Dipper had as well. He had responded almost immediately after the video was sent, which Agatha took as permission to strike up a conversation. The third and last day at Spilled Ink was a little melancholy. Mitch closed up early and the four artists went out for some drinks. Norman had missed the feel of the shop and the chemistry between him and Agatha and Mitch. He missed tattooing. But, he also missed Dipper. They texted at least once every day and had called a few times. It just wasn’t enough though; Norman wanted Dipper to be physically next to him, so he could feel the anxious energy that constantly affected Dipper’s existence. Luckily he only had one more day to wait.

\-----------------

Norman sat down for lunch with his family and felt calmer at the end of the visit than he had anticipated. There hadn’t been any arguments or fights, and he hadn’t needed to get a room at a hotel. With things going so well, Norman didn’t want to rock the boat by bringing up his boyfriend. Courtney would have his back, if things didn’t turn out, but he really didn’t want to disappoint his mother by getting into a fight. “Are you married uncle Norman?” Tiffany was pointing at Norman’s hand, where a solid black ring sat on his middle finger. “You’ve got a ring like mommy and daddy.”

“No, I’m not married. Wedding rings go on the ring finger.” Norman pointed to said finger. “But, not every ring on a ring finger means marriage.”

“That’s confusing. Why are there so many rules?” 

“Beats me, I normally don’t wear rings.” 

“So, that one’s special.” 

Tiffany deserved all of the sweets in the world, Norman decided. “Yeah.”

“Why? It’s not even sparkly like mommy’s ring.”

“My boyfriend gave it to me for Christmas.”

“Boyfriend! Why haven’t I heard of this?” Sandra asked.

Carefully, Norman told his parents about Dipper. His mom seemed happy for him, although she was upset that he had met Dipper’s parents before telling his own parents about the relationship. Sandra scolded Norman for keeping his boyfriend a secret until hours before he was due to depart. While his mom asked questions and showed interest, Perry was silent and had ceased to make eye-contact with his son. Norman found that he didn’t care. He had stopped searching for his dad’s approval years ago. What upset him the most is that his mother wanted to meet Dipper, but Norman wouldn’t be comfortable bringing Dipper to Boston to meet his parents. If they made the trip, there was no way they would stay in his parents’ house. Norman would never subject Dipper to his father’s assholery. “Next time you visit you’ll have to bring him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best to write a child, but I have spent very little time around children and have no idea how they speak and behave.


	17. Chapter 17

The airport was flooded with people traveling for the holidays; exasperated parents dragging screaming kids, and the occasional couple that looked like they had just gotten engaged. Dipper sat in a section of the terminal's waiting area that seemed to house all the lonely travelers. He was situated next to a man in a suit who was cursing his boss every other second as he wrote an agonizingly long email. The woman on the other side of him was military; Dipper tried to spend most of his time imagining the scene that would greet her when she returned home. She'd pick up her kids and spin them around while they giggled excitedly, then kiss her spouse like she hadn't for the last eight months, and finish the night by shedding her uniform and transforming back into mother and not soldier. Realistically Dipper knew that wasn't how it worked. If she had seen real combat that first night would be hell, but Dipper didn't want to think about that. His boyfriend was returning home in a better mood than he expected, and Dipper wasn't going to ruin that. He had been surprised by the tone of Norman's text messages. They weren’t overwhelmingly positive, but Norman had sounded hopeful about the progress in his relationship with his father. It had at least gotten to the point that Norman was comfortable enough to tell his family he had a boyfriend. The short text sent before Norman got on the plane said his mom was excited and his dad unresponsive. Dipper assumed that for Mr. Babcock any response that wasn’t blatant displeasure was a form of acceptance at the least. Dipper didn’t realize he had zoned out until a woman’s voice came over the intercom announcing the arrival of Norman’s plane.

He was one of the last ones off. His shirt collar had a few traces of drool and he was holding his neck at an interesting angle. Dipper held in a laugh and gently pulled Norman into a hug and accepted a sleepy kiss before taking the bag out of Norman’s hand. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhmm, no crying kids." Norman forced his neck up causing him to hiss in pain. “After the stressful lunch I really needed a nap. It should also help with the jet lag.”

“I have a coffee for you in the car.” Dipper took Norman’s hand and led him to the car. The stories about Agatha and Mitch made Dipper feel better about the trip; he would have felt awful if Norman had spent the entire week miserable at his parents house. “Your friends seem like a riot. I appreciated the video call though.”

“Mitch isn’t too bad, just likes to make you aware of everything you’ve been lying to yourself about. Agatha’s more of a physical threat because she’ll do something like steal your phone and call your boyfriend while you're otherwise occupied. We were lucky the client was chill or Mitch would have yelled at us.” Norman relaxed into the passenger seat. “She wants to meet you. Said she’d fly out here if she has to.”

“Oh, that sounds like a threat.”

“It is.” Norman took a long drink. “My mom and sister also want to meet you too. I’m sure my sister would make the flight over, if that was necessary. My mom would probably wait until we went out there or my dad died.”

“Things had been going somewhat well before today, right?” Dipper took the exit to Norman’s apartment. “You didn’t get into any fights.”

“We exchanged a few words at the end, but I’m not holding out too much. I definitely put in more effort than he did.” Dipper just reached over and grabbed Norman’s hand. Norman was being resentful, but it also wasn’t uncalled for. “It was good to see Tiffany. She’s grown up so much, and she’s just as much of a shit as her mother is. I thought she was going to crush my rib cage when she woke me up Christmas morning.”

“From what you told me, she sounds like a good kid.”

“She is. Smart as a whip too.” Norman had a quiet smile on his face. It had been obvious from the start that Norman was good with kids, granted high schoolers were closer to adults than a five year old but still. At conferences there were a few of the art kids mothers who were smitten by his way with the younger siblings. It saddened Dipper that parents had a tendency to keep their children away from Norman, and it made him curious about whether Norman would want to have or adopt children of his own one day. “How were your festivities? I saw some of the photos in the group chat.

“They were good. For the family events Mabel facilitated a huge dreidel tournament and kept breaking out random craft projects she wanted us to do. I managed to talk my way out of the caroling. Honestly the high light was when I got sick from eating too much fudge.” Dipper laughed. “The Holiday Party went as well as it could have. Nothing and nobody got set on fire, and Pacifica didn’t un-invite anyone from the New Years Eve party. She’s hosting it at our house this year. Oh, you are required to come since you missed the holiday party.”

“I figured I wouldn’t be able to fuck off to Massachusetts without some kind of consequence.”

“It’s normally not a huge party, just the people from the group chat. People get drunk, play card games, and set off party poppers at midnight.”

“Sounds like fun. At the tattoo parlor we’d close early and head to someone’s apartment. The only tradition we really had was to take as many shots as the last two digits of the upcoming year. There used to be a fifteen minute time limit, but as the numbers increased and we got older the only time constraint was that the shots had to be done by midnight. It’s not fun taking more than a few shots in a row.”

“This party will be nothing like that. Coraline will probably get wine drunk, and Wendy will most likely walk around throwing out people’s champagne and replacing it with some kind of vodka mixed drink.” Dipper pulled into the parking lot in front of Norman’s apartment. He parked but didn’t turn the car off. 

“Aren’t you coming up? I was looking forward to sharing a large supreme pizza and cuddling on the couch. I figured you’d never want to part with me, since I’ve been gone for so long.” Dipper rolled his eyes but took the key out of the ignition. “You can borrow some sweatpants because I’m not cuddling in jeans.”

“Traveling makes you needy.” Dipper teased. He stopped Norman before he grabbed his suitcase, pulling him in for a sweet kiss. If Dipper was being honest, he was just as needy.


	18. Chapter 18

It was fascinating to watch Pacifica orchestrate the New Year’s Eve party. She was perfectly fine letting Mabel handle the food, but she kept an eagle eye on Norman and Dipper as they set up the decorations. A couple times she yelled for Dipper to move something a little more to the left, but when Norman looked around she wasn’t in sight. Norman had only helped plan one or two actual parties in his lifetime, but he knew that Pacifica was a master coordinator. The four of them managed to get everything set up within the same amount of time it usually took Norman to half assedly set up decorations and figure out how much food to order. Instead of running around to the last second, they actually had time to relax before people started showing up. 

It was good to catch up with the others. The weeks leading up to finals were stressful due to students requesting time to meet with teachers before school, causing the morning gossip circle to be disbanded for a while. With Norman being in Massachusetts for most of the break it had been close to a month since he’d talked to Wendy, Neil, and Coraline. It was especially good to hear about Neil’s family. Norman had spent a couple weekends with them while in college and felt a little bad about not keeping in better touch. 

Overall the evening was calm and laid back. The background music stayed at a tasteful level until a song came on that Mabel or Coraline wanted to dance to. There wasn’t a gimmick, so everyone was in regular clothing except for Mabel who was in a pink sequined dress. Norman admired her ability to do whatever she wanted in any situation. If she wanted to, Mabel would go to McDonald’s in a ball gown. “Think I should get one of those?” The group was trying to decide on a card game, giving Norman a moment to talk with Dipper.

“I never really considered you a sparkly kind of guy. Sequins seem like a stretch.” Dipper made a show of looking Norman up and down. “Maybe lace, though.”

“Lace, really. I always figured it would be too much on top of my tattoos. That’s one of the reasons I never wear patterned shirts. I know I’m already a lot to look at.” Norman turned his last statement into a flirtatious joke. “In all honesty, lace is uncomfortable to wear if there isn’t something between it and your skin. Aggie roped me into helping her with a Halloween costume once. I thought the shirt was going to give me a rash.”

“Do you think you’d have the same issue with mesh?” Dipper eyed Norman like he was serious. 

“Mesh sounds like it would be even worse. Can you imagine the nipple rubbing anytime you moved. No fucking way.” Norman emphatically shook his head. “I don’t even know why mesh is considered sexy. It’s not pleasant to rub up against.” Dipper laughed, a snort exploding out of him. “I’m serious.”

“I think it’s the idea that skin is visible but not completely exposed. The hint of nudity is exciting.” Dipper said. His smile was a little slacker than usual, and Norman knew they were both well on their way to being tipsy.

They each grabbed a water before moving back into the living room. After Pacifica won her fifth game in a row, the poker game dispersed and the teachers began sharing stories from the year--which kid did which bad thing, who had the most pathetic test answers, whose parents were nightmares to deal with. Norman listened contently as his friends thought back to past students. There were a lot of names that he was vaguely aware of from older students and previous stories. The countdown clock interrupted the conversation, and Norman found himself with an arm full of Dipper as the replayed New York audience cheered for the start of the new year. Their mouths connected in a chaste kiss. Champagne was popped in a perfect fountain, and plastic chalices were filled with the bubbly liquid. Seven glasses were raised in the air as Coraline made a speech. “It’s been quite a year. Norman cam into our life and swept our little Dipshit off his feet. Who knew a sexy tattoo artist would be the one to do it.” Dipper groaned, but Coraline barreled over him. “Norman, you won’t be teaching with us in the fall, but you’re still expected to be an active participant in the group chat, and you are still expected to join us for Mo nights.” Norman popped a thumbs up. “When I moved to Gravity Falls to start teaching five years ago. I thought I would have left by now. I’m glad I didn’t. Here’s to one more year.”

The group let out a cheer and drank. Norman wasn’t a big fan of champagne, so he threw it back like it was a shot. The worst decision he could have made as he broke out in a coughing fit. “You didn’t have to drink it.” Dipper rubbed Norman’s back.

“Wanted to get it over with. I forgot it was more bubbly than beer.”

“You’re a disaster.”

The party fizzled out around two in the morning, later than Norman assumed. The group often liked to complain about being old and unable to hold up to traditions for younger people. Norman waived Neil off with only one eye open. He was starting to process the last of the alcohol he drank and knew it wouldn’t be long before he was passed out on the couch or in Dipper’s bed. The bed was the preferred option.


	19. Chapter 19

Dipper had always been a light sleeper. A therapist he talked to once said it might be due to his mild anxiety. Dipper blamed it on Mabel. Anyone with a sibling could talk about the dangers of not being aware of a potential attack. The lightest giggle in the middle of the night kept Dipper from falling back to sleep until at least half an hour had passed, which was why Dipper screeched when something freezing and wet was pressed to his sleeping cheek. His heart was thundering as he gradually focused on Norman’s surprised but delighted face. “Wow.”

“Shut up.” Dipper sat up. The clock on his bedside table said it was closing in on eleven in the morning. “Seven hours of sleep isn’t bad for the day after a party. When did you get up?”

“I slept on and off until eight. Once I’m up later than one or two, it’s almost impossible for me to actually go to sleep.” The bags under Norman’s eyes weren’t very much darker than they were on any other day, so Dipper let it go. He’d try to force Norman to take a nap later or go to bed early. “Your sister and Pacifica left around ten-thirty for brunch and shopping. I made pancakes so get your ass up.” Norman went back down stairs to make sure his pancakes didn’t burn while Dipper went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. 

Dipper ignored Norman’s instructions to grab a plate and start eating to wrap his arms around Norman’s skinny waist and bury his face in the flat expanse between his shoulder blades. The black shirt he was wearing was old, the fabric soft after years of wear and washing. His cologne had worn off, leaving Norman in a mixture of his own musk and ghost of alcohol. Dipper kind of loved it. “You really should start eating. They’re going to get cold.”

“But the last ones you make will be the best ones because you’ve had more practice.” Dipper could feel Norman’s body moving as he slid the pancakes of the griddle and poured more batter onto the griddle.

“I can hear your stomach rumbling.”

Dipper squeezed Norman around the middle. “I like it back here.” Norman was very flat which was a little unfortunate for Dipper who enjoyed laying on and cuddling with his boyfriend but didn’t enjoy bony shoulders and knees. Norman’s flatness had made Dipper self-conscious in the beginning of their relationship; he had always been a chubbier child, even with football his freshman and sophomore year of high school, a bit of fat had always clung to him. However, Norman loved to point out that Dipper looked healthy. If he didn’t get enough sleep, he didn’t look like a living skeleton. His skin was always a rosy pink, and Norman made sure to point out that Dipper had a better ass than him anyway.

“Maybe you could be back there again after breakfast?” Dipper was glad Norman couldn’t see his surprise. He knew Norman was teasing, although it was also an invitation. It gave Dipper the choice to either take the statement seriously or play off as a joke. Dipper always felt extra loved when his boyfriend did things to ease the pressure that could come with relationships. However, the statement also made Dipper realize that Norman’s ass was pressed against the top of his hips, and he would have to sit through breakfast with a semi. “Mable said they wouldn’t be back until around three at the earliest.”

“I’ve never--you know--” Norman platted the last pancake and spun around smoothly in Dipper’s arms.

“I trust you, and it’s not a problem to go slow. We both know I don’t mind a little bit of pain.”

Dipper felt his face go red. “Maybe, after breakfast.”

Pancakes had never seemed so sexual. He was hyper-aware of every minute movement of Norman’s mouth. How he closed his lips around his fork after every bite in order to get all the chocolate and sugar off. How his tongue chased the syrup that dripped from the corner of his mouth. Really Norman shouldn’t have been attractive--his hair was greasy, clothes holy and tear stained--but the words still charged the air.

They put the plates and silverware in the dishwasher and cleaned up the griddle before moving to Dipper’s room. Norman was giving him more time to consider if he really wanted to have sex. Dipper was honestly excited. The nerves he thought would have been fluttering around in his stomach were nonexistent. He even took the initiative pulling Norman up the stairs to his room. He had to take a moment to steady himself once he got Norman naked and spread out on his bed. It was a visual he never really thought would become a reality. The confidence lasted until his own bottle of lube was in his hand. Norman kissed him gently on the mouth. “How are you doing? Remember we don’t have to do this.” Dipper swallowed the bubble of love that was working its way up his throat from the bottom of his heart.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t. We’ll go slow and do it right. We’ll probably do more prep than I actually prefer for myself.”

“You’ll tell me if I do anything that hurts you.”

“Of course.”

“Alright, I love you.”

“I love you too.” Norman leaned up to give Dipper a sweet kiss. “Now fuck me.” Dipper laughed feeling the tension drain slightly as Norman laid back on the bed and wiggled his hips slightly, making his hard dick tap against his stomach. He tried to emulate what Norman had done on him, except he wasn’t comfortable enough to take his eyes off of his fingers to press kisses to Norman’s skin or suck his dick. Instead he used his free hand to smooth down his thighs and up his body. Dipper started with his middle finger, coating it in cold lube before rubbing it around Norman’s pink puckered hole. Norman’s abdomen flexed mildly as the finger entered him. The tight, warm heat was strange without the other side of the stimulation. He had only done this to himself, but he enjoyed the way Norman sighed and adjusted. Dipper began to gently thrust the finger in and out until Norman asked for another. It was a slow process, and Norman did have to talk him through the whole thing, but eventually he had three fingers sliding in and out of Norman easily. He had just mastered curling his fingers into Norman’s prostate when a condom was thrown at him. “If we take any more time I’m going to combust.” Dipper leaned in for a kiss while he pulled his fingers out.

“I thought I was going to get to be behind you again?” The words sort of spilled out of Dipper’s mouth, and he worried Norman might be a little offended, but the man just shot him an amused look before flipping onto his hands and knees. Dipper slid the hand not covered in lube over Norman’s multicolored skin. He took three deep breaths and slowly pushed into Norman. The feeling around his fingers hadn’t prepared him for those same sensations to surround his dick. It had been a while since he had been inside another person. If he had been standing, Dipper would have fallen to his knees. Norman pushed his hips back, and Dipper looked down shocked as his whole cock disappeared inside Norman.

“Sorry, but I needed you inside me.” Dipper let out a moan he hadn’t realized he had been holding back and pulled Norman’s ass cheeks apart out of curiosity. His hips snapped forward giving him an up-close-and-personal view of Norman’s hole stretched around his cock. Norman dropped to his elbows, so he could get more force when he rolled his hips back to meet Dipper’s tentative thrusts. “Dip, I love you, but I really need a little more right now.”

Taking the hint, Dipper spread his knees further apart in order to create a more stable base and gave a hard thrust. The pace sped up quickly; Dipper gaining the upper hand as Norman could do nothing but take what Dipper would give him. As he neared his climax, Dipper’s thrusts were stronger. He would circle his hips when he felt Norman’s thighs against his own. Up until that point Dipper had kept his hands on Norman’s waist, but as he felt his stomach drop and his dick pulse, he dug his fingernails into Norman’s back. Norman continued to thrust back onto Dipper’s flaccid dick, his own hand wrapping around his dick and jerking him to completion.

“I’m sorry.” Dipper mumbled into Norman’s chest as they laid on the unused side of the bed.

“It’s fine.” Norman kissed the top of Dipper’s sweaty head. “Doesn’t offend me at all. Not entirely surprised it happened.”

“Still, I wanted that to be good for you.”

“It was good for me. I’m just glad you didn’t stretch me to a point I won’t be able to still feel you inside me later.”

“You can’t say things like that when all I want to do is shower and cuddle while watching Ghost Adventures.” Dipper pouted.

“Fine, but I’m serious. It was fine. You did great. Now lets shower. I think I saw some popcorn squirreled away in your kitchen.”

Pacifica and Mabel returned around four with less shopping bags than anticipated. Norman and Dipper were wrapped around each other. A large bowl of popcorn remains on the floor, and Norman asleep on Dipper’s shoulder. The two women were careful not to disturb the two and let Dipper know that they had snuck a picture. It would be good for the scrapbook Mabel was thinking about making for her brother’s birthday.


	20. Chapter 20

Norman had underestimated how jarring going back to work after the break would be. He felt like he had reverted back to his first week teaching when he felt like he was constantly stumbling and fumbling. He had a new set of students to create a repertoire with. Fortunately quite a few of the students had taken an art class with him the previous semester, and the other students had heard enough about him to not be entirely hostile. While at school it took him a few weeks to fall back into a place of comfort, but at home things had become even smoother than they had before. It had become part of the daily routine for Dipper to end up at Norman’s apartment, so they could eat and grade together, although Norman rarely had anything to grade. He’d still sit at the table or on the couch with Dipper to keep him company. It was an unexpected type of domesticity that Norman hadn’t been aware he wanted. At one point they had both been so engrossed in their work they hadn’t realized they were drinking out of the same cup. Norman blamed Dipper for not paying attention; his boyfriend normally couldn’t stomach the strong black coffee Norman liked to drink after dinner. 

Despite Dipper spending every evening at Norman’s apartment, he never stayed the night. Around nine or ten he would head home or have Mabel pick him up, depending on who had the car that day. Every time Dipper left on a weeknight, something dark and heavy settled in Norman’s stomach. At first he thought it was just exhaustion finally hitting him. No matter how tired he was Norman refused to fall asleep before Dipper left the house. But, after a couple of weeks he finally figured it out. Norman didn’t like that Dipper slept at home. He wasn’t sure what made him feel that way. It didn’t appear to come from a place of possessiveness of jealousy. He just really wanted to fall asleep with Dipper either in his arms or next to him in bed. Norman could imagine him and Dipper developing a regular nighttime routine which would then lead to a regular morning routine. 

It was a good time to ask Dipper to move in with him, since Pacifica and Mabel were getting serious about planning a wedding and moving in together to start a family, but Norman wasn’t sure about school policy in regards to that kind of thing. He wouldn’t want to put Dipper into a compromising spot. “What’s with the face?” Norman looked up to find Coraline sitting at the end of his desk. He was scrolling through the various rule books he had been given upon starting the job while picking at his sandwich.

“Do you know if there’s a policy about teacher’s living together?” Coraline’s eyebrows flew up towards her hairline, and her mouth twisted into a smirk. Norman knew asking Coraline would create a ‘thing,’ but he was struggling and didn’t want to go to the administration yet. “I know romantic relationships have a couple rules or whatever, but I haven’t seen anything about cohabitation.”

“No rules about living together.” Coraline confirmed. “When Wendy first started she lived with me for a couple of months until she found a place. Also, Pacifica is only a few pieces of furniture away from living with the Pines.”

“I know.” Norman rubbed his face.

“Is that why you’re looking? Dipper going to move in with you?”

“I haven’t asked him yet. I wanted to make sure everything was above table before I made the offer. It’s almost definite that I’ll be staying in Gravity Falls once the semester is over, and Dipper’s talked about not wanting to live with Mable and Pacifica for too long once she moves in, so he won’t step on their toes. It’s a good time right?”

“I think so.” Coraline agreed. “You’ve been together for a while.”

“He also spends almost every evening at my apartment, so we can grade together.” Coraline made a face that told Norman that the entire group chat would know that little fact within the next couple of days. “He might as well just stay.”

“You should definitely ask him. From everything you’ve said, I don’t see any reason why it would be a bad idea.”

Norman nodded. “I’ll probably wait a little bit longer. I need to talk to my landlord and look through all my shit. I have no idea how much stuff in that house is his. There might not even be enough space at my place for both of us.”

“I’m positive you guys can work it out. Dipper really likes you, and he really wants to get out of that house. Your offer will probably make his life way easier.”

“Thanks, Coraline. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”  
“Flounder around like an idiot.” She gave Norman’s shoulder a firm pat before departing back to her classroom. With the remaining minutes of his prep period, Norman drafted two emails. One went to his landlord to get a better idea about the process of adding a person to his lease. The other to the guy who ran the tattoo parlor. He had said to get in touch after the new year, and Norman was ready to start making definitive movements.


	21. Chapter 21

Another box was sitting in the living room when Dipper got home from Norman’s. The box was labelled ‘Summer Clothes’ in Pacifica’s careful, curly handwriting. It was next to three boxes labeled ‘Shoes’ that as a collective made the living room almost impossible to use. Pacifica had had her own drawer in their bathroom for years, and the girls were finally starting to fully consolidate their stuff. Dipper wasn’t bitter about Pacifica moving in, as much as he and his future sister-in-law could argue, he was happy for both of them. They were also all closing in on thirty. It was about time Dipper stopped living with his sister. 

He ran his eyes over the bookshelf in the corner of the living room grabbing a couple of pictures and trinkets that were his. For the past couple days, Dipper had begun relocating his items into boxes in his room. He didn’t have very many things, mostly books and movies, so almost everything fit in the bottom of his closet. In order to prevent his sister from finding out, he had been moving in secret and removing only a few things at a time. If his sister found out, she’d feel bad and insist that Dipper shouldn’t feel like he was being kicked out, which he didn’t. Not really. He was just worried about finding another place to live. Due to his meticulous nature it would take him at least a month to tour and decide on an apartment that would be suitable for him, being close enough to work, a decent price, and not completely falling apart. 

The idea of moving in with Norman had crossed his mind a couple of times, but he didn’t want to be the one to bring it up. It felt too close to inviting oneself to a birthday party or something. Dipper didn’t want Norman to feel obligated to live with him. The guy had been living as a bachelor for years. He probably wasn’t even thinking about living with another person.That didn’t stop Dipper from thinking about it. 

If they lived together he wouldn’t have to worry about falling asleep on Norman’s sofa and having to rush back home to change before work the next morning. He could imagine his historical fiction movies mixed in with Norman’s collection of horror movies, and his own books nestled next to Norman’s on his modest bookshelf. Slowly their messes would meld into one where Dipper wouldn’t know if he left the clean laundry on the coffee table or if Norman did. He knew they’d have arguments over stupid things like what to set the temperature at and whose turn it was to wash the dishes, probably even a couple of fights, but it didn’t really matter as long as they ended up in the same bed at the end of the night.

Once the students finally caught on that the art teacher and the history teacher were coming to and leaving school together, they’d be the talk of the school for a little while, but he was willing to suffer through that. He was almost positive that some of the students who took both of their classes the previous semester had some idea of what was going on. They wouldn’t be breaking any rules. He would just have to get better about suppressing his embarrassment because high school students could be brutal.

Dipper looked up from his phone as Pacifica knocked on his door. “Mabel wants to know where the copy of Titanic is,”

“Should be downstairs on the shelf next to your copy of Mean Girls.”

“Really? It’s not in one of your boxes.” She cocked an eyebrow at Dipper in a way that used to piss him off but now only mildly annoyed him. “I don’t think she’s noticed yet, but I have. You know we’re not kicking you out, right?”

“Yeah, I know.” Dipper scratched his head. “It’ll just be more work to find my stuff once you’re all moved in.”

“Right.” Pacifica was unconvinced. “What’s really up?”

“It’s stupid.”

“You know the last time you were talking like that it was about whether Norman liked you or not, and you’re a couple now.” Pacifica stepped further into the room, closing the door down behind her in case Mabel came snooping. “Spill.”

“I’m kind of hoping that Norman will ask me to move in with him. I know I could probably just talk to him about it, but I don’t want him to feel like he has to.”

“I’m pretty sure Norman’s the guy who won’t do anything he doesn’t want to, but I know how you feel. It took me a while to finally talk to Mabel about plans for the future. Part of me was prepared to get married while still living in separate places. If I had brought it up earlier, I probably would have moved in a year ago.” Dipper nodded absentmindedly, thinking about what he would have done if she had moved in a year ago. “I can ask around if you want. See if he mentioned anything to Neil. I also know he and Coraline talk on occasion.”

“Nah, it’ll just make me worry more. Thanks though.”

“Anytime, my only request is that you talk to Mabel before you start looking for apartments.”

“Alright, okay. Goodnight, see you tomorrow.”


	22. Chapter 22

Norman surveyed his apartment with a small sense of pride. His apartment had never been as clean as he had made it, not even his place in Massachusetts had ever been described as even close to spotless. It probably could have only been considered somewhat tidy during the first couple weeks he inhabited the place. He had spent the week going through all of his crap and making space. He compacted all of his clothes into three of the six drawers in his wardrobe and half the closet; military style organizing really was efficient. He only used two drawers in the bathroom cupboard, so he wiped down the unused ones. The kitchen was also scoured and rearranged to create enough space just in case Dipper had any mugs he was attached to. Norman hadn’t asked Dipper to move in with him yet, that was what the fancy Valentine’s dinner he had planned was for. It felt a little presumptuous at first, but he was pretty sure Dipper would say yes. Pacifica was almost completely moved into the Pines house as far as Norman knew. He had also been getting some pretty promising hints from Pacifica. 

Norman picked a piece of flint off his nice pants and tried to think if there was anything that could make the night more romantic. He had red wine, strawberries that were dipped in chocolate he had made himself, fancy plates his mother had gotten for him back in Massachusetts when she was still delusional about her and her husband joining him for dinner, and he’d made Parmesan chicken and garlic corn. He’d bought some French Bread from the local bakery and had it warming next to the stove. Norman’s phone charmed, signalling Dipper’s departure from his house which was the cue for Norman to run around his apartment lighting his ten white vanilla scented candles. Norman stood about a yard away from the door for the fifteen minutes it took for Dipper to arrive.

“Wow. Norman this is amazing!” Dipper’s eyes bounced from the candles to the food waiting on the stove. Norman accepted a quick peck on the lips before ushering Dipper to the kitchen. “Did you make all of this?”

“Pretty much. Would you like some wine?”

“Yes, I’d love some.” Dipper began plating while Norman poured the wine. It was a vibrant flash of domesticity that reminded Norman of his double purpose for the night. “I didn’t know you were a wine connoisseur.” 

“Oh, I’m not. I definitely spent an embarrassing amount of time looking like an idiot before asking the guy at the liquor store about what wines go the best with chicken.”

Dipper laughed, carrying the plates to the table. “Aren’t you supposed to lie about that to impress me, so I’ll sleep with you later?”

“I was hoping you would be seduced by my charm and stunning good looks.” Norman joked, glad that their first classically romantic evening together was so far stressless. “And, my ability to cook of course.” They settled down as they began eating, and the conversation turned towards the few bits of information they didn’t know about the other’s day. Dipper had received a call from his parents about the puppy they were planning to adopt. Norman mentioned that he’d been in contact with Robbie again and would possibly spend spring break guest spotting at the shop. 

“That’s great. I’m sure you’ll get the spot. You’re amazing.” 

“Thank you. Can I interest you in dessert?” Norman skittered to the kitchen. It was time. “So, Pacifica’s pretty much fully moved in, right?”

“Yeah, her lease is up at the end of the month. We currently have four couches in the living room. They’re trying to sell our old ones, but it’s taking a bit.”

“Sounds cramped.” Dipper nodded. Norman cleared his throat. “You could always come here, if you want more space.”

Dipper froze with a strawberry halfway to his mouth. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”

“Yes.” Norman tried to make it sound like a statement not a question. “I’ve already made space and talked to the landlord. You could move in whenever you want.”

“You didn’t need to do that. I don’t have that much stuff.”

“So, is that a yes, then?” Norman’s palms were sweaty.

“Yeah. Yes.” 

“Great. I was a little worried you’d say no.” Norman confessed.

“I was a little worried you wouldn’t ask.” Dipper ducked his head in mild embarrassment. “So, want to feed each other these strawberries like were those obnoxious couples in commercials, then have mind-blowing sex?”

Norman laughed, picking up a strawberry and pressing it to Dipper’s lips. “Sounds like a plan I can get behind.”


	23. Chapter 23

Dipper sat on the bed practically vibrating with giddiness as Norman ran through the kitchen blowing out candles. There was chocolate from the strawberries still stuck in his teeth and the thrill of being invited to live with Norman in his heart. The idea of a homemade dinner had been a shock when they first started talking about Valentine’s plans. Dipper figured what Norman said they should have a romantic meal they would head downtown to one of the overly expensive Italian places like everyone else. Then, Norman had told him they wouldn’t be going out. Dipper knew it was kind of unfair for him to immediately assume that meant pizza on the couch with some movie playing in the background, but that was what they did when they stayed in for dinner most nights. Instead Norman swept Dipper off his feet with an amount of romance Dipper had never expected or received. “Sorry that took so long. The candle on the table wouldn’t go out.”

Dipper smiled as Norman rolled onto the bed next to him. “It’s okay. It gave me time to think of all the things I want you to do to me.” Norman’s eyes widened for a moment before a dangerous smile graced his lips. He moved to kneel between Dipper’s legs.

“Hmm, and what exactly were you thinking?” Norman attached his lips to Dipper’s neck, causing him to gasp.

Some mix of the half bottle of wine he drank and the endorphins made the words slip out of his mouth easier than expected. “I wanted to start by sucking you off.” Norman hummed; his hands linked with Dipper’s above their heads. “They, you’d use your mouth to prepare me before I ride your cock.” Norman’s hips twitched, causing their clothed cocks to collide. Dipper moaned and his hands squeezed Norman’s in anticipation. “But, I’d use my shirt to tie your hands to the headboard to keep you from touching me.”

“You’re trying to kill me.” Norman accused. “But, I’m okay with that.”

“Fantastic.” Dipper used his hips to flip Norman onto his back. With little ceremony Dipper undressed Norman. He started by tracing the curve of Norman’s pinkening cock with his index finger, making the member twitch. Norman ran his hands over any exposed skin he could find, while Dipper fisted the base of his cock. Dipper sucked cock like he was trying to solve a puzzle. The tip of his tongue circled around his head, dipped into the slit, and traced patterns along the shaft. He was new to the exercise and decided to just do whatever he wanted. The lack of consistent rhythm and pressure kept Norman on edge. He had buried his fingers into Dipper’s curls, giving frustrated little pulls when Dipper changed the sensation. Dipper was fine leaving Norman on edge since the goal wasn’t to get him off with his mouth. He also knew there was no way that he’d be able to reciprocate what Norman gave him months ago. He pulled off of Norman’s dick slowly, keeping his lips pressed into a tight ring and giving one last hard suck to the head before releasing him.

“That probably wasn’t very good.” Dipper wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“It was better than average. We can set aside some time for you to practice.” Norman pulled him in for a heated open-mouthed kiss. “I think I want your legs on my shoulders,” Norman growled, flipping Dipper over, “and I think there should be no more clothes.” Dipper laughed and scrambled to undress himself. 

Dipper settled back on the bed, still a little embarrassed by the action of exposing himself to Norman. He turned his head away as Norman spread his thighs, but Norman turned his face back to the center before throwing Dipper’s legs over his shoulders. Dipper shuddered as Norman spread his ass and blew air across his entrance. His eyes snapped shut when Norman used the point of his tongue to trace the edge of Dipper’s hole, like the darkness would make the sensation less overwhelming. Norman spent a few minutes entertaining himself with tight circles before finally starting to press into Dipper’s hole. He wiggled his tongue, making Dipper flinch slightly, but it worked to start stretching him in a slow way that Norman’s fingers didn’t do. But, boy did Dipper love those fingers. He was reminded of that love as a finger prodded into the tight entrance next to Norman’s tongue. Norman had to remove his mouth in order to properly prepare Dipper, knowing saliva wasn’t going to do the job by itself. Instead, he moved his mouth to Dipper’s nipples. Dipper’s head flew back when another finger was pressed in at the same time Norman scraped his teeth across Dipper’s left nipple. 

“Do you still want to ride me?” Norman asked, stretching the three fingers buried in Dipper’s ass apart one last time.

“Fuck yeah. Now lay down and put your hands over your head.”

“Yes, sir.” Norman teasingly saluted as Dipper slipped off the bed to find his shirt. It was long sleeved and made out of soft cotton. It would make a decent restraint and not be painful. He scooped up more lube and a condom, straddling Norman’s body while he tied his boyfriend to the headboard.

“Are you still good?” Dipper asked.

“Oh, I’m fucking fantastic.” Norman tested the cloth, making the muscles in his arms flex deliciously. Dipper took a deep breath before slowly lowering himself onto Norman’s dick. “Fuck, this is going to be difficult.”

“It’s supposed to be fun.” Dipper bottomed out with a grunt and allowed a moment to adjust. He had never ridden a cock before, but he knew it would take more strength and stamina than his legs most likely had. Despite that fact, he was determined to fulfill his fantasy. Making sure his legs were braced on either side of Norman’s body, Dipper pushed himself up so only the tip of the dick was left inside of him before carefully sliding back down. Norman’s hips rolled with his, keeping Dipper from having to completely lower himself. As the pace sped up, Dipper found himself doing more of a little bounce than a full up and down motion. He had his lower lips caught between his teeth in concentration, so his moans caught in his throat, making Norman’s little grunts and moans more prominent. Dipper was getting frustrated though; there was no way he could keep up a satisfying pace and get the deep thrusts that he craved. “Norm, I-I can’t--” Norman whined as Dipper paused fully seated on his cock. “I can’t go fast enough.”

“Lift up.” Norman panted. Dipper complied, raising onto his knees. Norman planted his feet on the mattress and raised his hips into the air. His muscles trembled from the strain of being in a bridge position, and Dipper couldn't help but run his hands over them. Norman began thrusting, short staccato bursts that pummeled Dipper's prostate perfectly. Dipper tried to move into the thrusts but there was no way he could keep up. His jaw had dropped into a permanent 'O' and he couldn't bite his tongue as his orgasm came screaming through him. Norman kept the pace until his own orgasm caused his hips to stutter and collapse back onto the bed. Dipper had enough mind to roll off Norman and untie him, but he couldn't function much past that. They breathed together for a minute before Norman tied off the condom and grabbed a wet towel. "So did that meet your expectations?"

“Yeah. I was able to keep up longer than I thought I would.” Dipper wrapped his arms around Norman and pillowed his head on the tattooed chest.

“It was impressive and super hot. I’m never going to get the image out of my head. It’s going to be featured in all of my best dreams.”

“Shut up.” Dipper laughed; his face going red. “I’m going to be super sore in the morning, and you’re going to have to deal with it.”

“We can just stay in bed all day. It’s not like there’s anything we have to do.”


	24. Chapter 24

Norman’s car wasn’t nearly as packed as Dipper thought it would be. The two suitcases full of his clothes were packed in the trunk and a couple decent sized boxes of personal items were wedged in the back seat. Moving into an apartment that was already furnished meant Dipper didn’t have to worry about moving his bed or any heavy bookcases or wardrobes. Norman had also made it clear that any decorations Dipper wanted to bring would be integrated seamlessly. Hauling everything out of his room was less bittersweet than Dipper thought it would be. He would miss his sister’s antics and yelling from a different room whenever his parents called. He’d need time to adjust to a smaller space, although he had practically been living with Norman the last month. “Did we get everything?” Norman asked, pulling out of the driveway. 

“I think so.” Dipper took a mental tour of his now practically empty room. Dipper hadn’t seen his walls bare since they moved in years ago. “If not, it’s not hard to get it back.”

“True. We do see both of them pretty much every day.” Norman squeezed Dipper’s hand over the center console. “I’m stoked about this, just so you know. It’s been a while since I’ve lived with another person, but I’m excited.”

Dipper beamed back at Norman. “Me too.” He glanced at the side mirror at his house, well his old home. He could see Mabel and Pacifica standing on the porch with their arms wrapped around each other. 

\-----------

Once all of the boxes and suitcases were moved into the apartment, Norman retreated to the kitchen while Dipper went to unpack his clothes and toiletries. Norman made the excuse of not wanting to crowd and get in the way, but Dipper had a feeling it was a way for Norman to say the space was now also Dipper’s and he was trusted with it. He found the gesture sweet, and he didn’t complain because he could hear Norman singing kind of terribly in the kitchen. Dipper never thought there would be a day where he would be able to sing along to a Rob Zombie song. Yet, there he was putting his underwear away while humming to Sick Bubblegum.

Norman joined him after lunch to go through his personal items. He mainly sorted through the movies, putting them away in alphabetical order by director, and deciding which copy was in better condition when he found a duplicate. Dipper took the time putting his books on the shelf, most of which were from college classes and practically useless to him. He hadn’t thrown them out yet because he was still partially convinced that as soon as he donated them, he’d need them for a project or something. 

“Those your college textbooks?” Norman slid over to sit beside Dipper, having finished with the movies. “I tossed most of mine.”

“Really? I’d figure art textbooks would be useful.” Dipper paused to watch Norman flip through his book on Medieval Europe.

“I only ever really had textbooks for my art history classes. The art professors had more of a learn by doing style. Besides, I’ve pretty much memorized the important information about most styles and periods. That being said, I wasn’t very good at art history.”

“Boring?” That was the reason most often given. Whenever Dipper gave out end of semester evaluations, ‘history is boring’ came up more often than not.

“No. I’d just get really into one artist and forget to study the rest of them.” Norman passed the book back to Dipper. “I got so invested in Hieronymus Bosch and Caravaggio during the Renaissance unit that I learned nothing about Tintoretto and Clouet. I still don’t know shit about Clouet.”

“But you passed the class?”

“Yes, I managed to pass the class. Did that require some groveling, maybe, I’ll never tell.”

\-----------

If anyone in the group chat was asked, they’d say that living with Norman made Dipper a happier person. He wasn’t nearly as grumpy in the mornings as he had been, and he was generally more relaxed. Something about competing to see who impersonated an octopus better as they were falling asleep made him sleep better. He also woke up in a better mood when he opened his eyes to see Norman’s face smushed into the pillow next to him. Dipper wasn’t even that mad or embarrassed when he heard the first whisperings about he and Norman possibly living together. That was partially because the more embarrassing debate was whether he was even gay or at least attracted to men. He had heard a junior girl in the hall one day proclaim that Dipper dressed to close to a seventy year old man to be gay, which she wasn’t entirely wrong about, but it wasn’t any of her business. It didn’t help that Coraline was perfectly fine slipping some of the grittier details with some of her favorite pupils. The ethicacy of the disclosure was debated, but it quickly became common knowledge that Mr. Pines and Mr. Babcock had been dating since the fall and had in fact moved in together. Norman, being the ‘cooler’ teacher, received most of the awkward questions, which he fielded respectably. 

They worked pretty well as roommates in Dipper’s opinion. They woke up to the same alarm, but Norman preferred to drink a cup of coffee before getting in the shower, so Dipper got dibs. On cleaning days, Norman did laundry and cleaned the bathroom while Dipper vacuumed and dusted. They argued about which way the toilet paper was supposed to go and whether windex could be used to clean the counters along with other mundane topics. Norman didn’t mind wearing his shoes in the house. Dipper took his shoes off if he was going to be in the apartment for longer than thirty minutes. When they finally invited everyone over for a housewarming-esq party, they were teased relentlessly for how domestic they were and how nerdy their decorations were. Some could consider the horror and cryptid memorabilia excessive. Dipper thought it was as close to perfect as they could get.


	25. Chapter 25

Stick & Poke tattoo shop looked like every other street shop. The exposed brick was covered in street art and there were a series of skulls, animal and human, real and fake, in the windows. Back at Spilled Ink, Mitch had a singular bull skull hanging on the wall. The little hint of familiarity drew Norman out of his car toward the door of the shop. Norman wouldn’t say he was nervous. He was confident in his work and his artistry. Robbie was also a laid back guy and had pretty much guaranteed a spot. He just had a lot riding on the week going well. 

Norman knocked on the front door, as Robbie had instructed him. He was showing up about two hours before opening, so he could meet his potential coworkers and tour the place. A woman opened the door. She had red oval glasses that stood out against her tan skin, and an expression that bordered between grumpy and just generally done with life. “You must be Norman.” She stuck her hand out after closing the door. “I’m Slama, the other artist. Robbie had to run back home for something. I’ll show you your space.” The building was split into three sections. The front of the shop had a desk with a computer and a glass cass displaying various studs and jewelry. Then behind that was a hallway with two rooms on either side. “Alvin, our piercer, is in the first room on the left. Robbie’s the one in the back left. I have the front right, and you will be in the back right.” The room had a counter, a series of cupboards, and a tattoo chair. The walls were white, but Norman had seen murals and posters in Robbie and Salma’s rooms; he had plans for the future. 

“It’s a nice shop.” Norman complimented. “What’s the best way for me to bring my stuff in?”

“We can put the doorstop in the front door. Feel free to park in the back for the rest of the week.”

Robbie arrived while Norman was in the middle of sorting through his inks and needles, checking to make sure nothing had expired or been contaminated. “Hey man, sorry I wasn’t here when you came in.” Robbie was in the black hoodie he was always wearing whenever Norman saw him. 

“Not a problem. Salma gave me a quick rundown.”

“Good. It will probably be slow until work gets done, but I did get you a consultation at one o’clock.” He pulled a printed email out of his backpack. “I just have the consultation scheduled, but if he’s got time, and you’re ready to go feel free to start on it.”

“Got it.” Norman read over the email. The guy wanted a gorey lady face. He hadn’t given much detail beyond that, but once he got a general face down it wouldn’t be too hard to tweak things. 

“It’ll be good to have you.”

\----------

Norman sat at the front counter, sketching out various ideas for the tattoo. The client could go for more of a monster idea, like a vampire or a zombie, or they could want something more paranormal like a possessed woman. Stretching his arms above his head, Norman looked at the art hung around the shop. Robbie liked black and white geometric, mandalas, and linework. Large patterns with a lot of tiny details. Salma favored traditional either American or Japanese. Stuff with thick black lines and lots of color. Norman’s affinity for realism rounded out the shop. Most of their clientele favored those styles which meant it would take a bit for Norman to draw people in for his own stuff. Until that point he would most likely be picking up clients they could fit or tattoos they just weren’t interested in.

By the end of Monday, after he’d finished the outline and most of the shading for the gorey lady face, he had an appointment for a watercolor giraffe and a new school style pin-up. He guessed that he would pick up a few more appointments to round out his week. He found himself grinning as he climbed into his car at nine in the evening. Guest spotting at Spilled Ink in December was like methadone for an addict. It took the edge off and was satisfying, but it couldn’t come close to taking the real thing. The week at Stick & Poke was like a shot of heroin straight to the veins. The months he would have to spend finishing off the semester would be a little harder to take than starting the semester or even the school year had been. 

\--------

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in such a good mood.” Dipper was lying on Norman’s chest, tracing the tattoos on his collarbone. They had just finished their second round of sex for the evening and were feeling loose and sated. “You always seem to enjoy teaching, but this is different. You’re easier to wake up in the mornings.”

“I love it. I really do.” Norman sighed. It was Wednesday night, closer to Thursday morning. He had three days left at the shop. He dreaded Sunday morning. “I don’t regret taking a break. If I hadn’t taken Neil’s offer, I would have never meet you, and I would still be lonely in my apartment picking up and dropping bad habits left and right. But, I also really missed tattooing. I knew I did, just not how much.”

“I’m happy for you. Do you think you’ll get the spot?” 

“I probably won’t hear anything official from Robbie for a couple weeks, but Salma has already said she considered me to be part of the shop. I think that makes my chances good.”

“Would you work similar hours?” Dipper asked.

“Depends. If I got the spot I could be more flexible with my hours. Sometimes I have late appointments, and I’ll probably be expected to work a couple late nights. With three of us covering six days, I’d only have to stay late two nights a week.” Norman pressed a kiss to the top of Dipper’s head. “Maybe, we could come up with a date night. Like an evening where I can head out a little early and we can get dinner and spend time together or something?”

“That sounds good.” Dipper pressed a kiss to Norman’s sternum. “I want you to be successful, but I also can’t let you forget about me.”

“I could never forget about you. Who would I send mothman memes to?” Norman pulled Dipper tight to his body. “I promise to not spend all of my time at the shop.”

\----------

“Looks good.” Salma was looking over Norman’s shoulder while he packed reds into the parrot head his client wanted on her shoulder.

“Thanks. Feathers can be hard.” Norman glanced at the other artist. “Finish your appointment?”

“Taking a break.” Salma corrected. “He’s starting to understand that trying to do most of a chest piece in one day isn’t the walk in the park he thought it would be. He wants a full body jaguar, which means a lot of black. I’m trying to do as few passes as possible, but--”

“Shit happens.” Norman nodded. “Think he’ll pass out on you?”

“Nah. He’s more of a crier.” Salma glanced at the woman who had her headphones in and an episode of The Office playing. “Want to trade clients?” The chest piece guy came back moments later the serene wrap wrapped around his body starting to fall away. “Ready for more?” Norman mouthed good luck as she closed the door to her own room. 

When Norman had seen the rooms online during his initial research, he had been worried about Stick & Poke being tense and awkward. Spilled Ink had been completely open except for the screens they had in case a client wanted privacy. It allowed the artists to talk openly to each other and clients. If Norman didn’t have a comment, he would walk around talking to Mitch and Aggie or distracting clients. He was sort of known for his bedside manner and was put in charge of handling most difficult clients. Norman worried that the walls and doors would create a divided atmosphere, but that was not the case. Alvin, the piercer, was even known to hangout in the doorway and gently bully people. It took a bit to adjust to working with a piercer. His clients were barely in the building for half an hour most of the time, leaving him with quite a bit of free time. He didn’t get in the way, but it had taken Norman a couple days to really feel the guy out. He came off as a bit of a dickhead at first.

\----------

On Friday, Norman spent the morning working on a man who wanted a black and white panel from a Naruto manga. He had never been super into anime; he had watched it with Neil a few times. The afternoon was spent doing friendship tattoos for a group of twenty year olds. It was nice since they all wanted the same design, but doing five claddaghs that were more detailed than he preferred for a smaller tattoo didn’t put him in the best mood. However, nobody had anything scheduled for the last hour, so Robbie closed the shop early.

\---------

Saturday, Norman had a six hour tattoo planned. This hiking fanatic wanted a recreation of Multnomah Falls on his ribs. He set up his inks and needles with the assumption that the client would tap out before the six hours were up, but the guy had sat like a rock. Robbie entered the room while Norman was cleaning up. He was done for the day which meant he was done until the end of the school year.

“Hey dude, how have you liked it here?”

“It’s been great.” Norman said earnestly. “This is a nice spot.”

“I’m glad to hear that. So, what would you think about leaving your inks here then, until your done teaching in May. I promise nobody will touch them, or if we do, we’ll replace them.”

“Does that mean I get the spot?”

“Yeah, dude. Mitch hadn’t over exaggerated when he told me about you. Your work is really good, and Salma and Alvin like you which helps. You’ve got the spot.”

“Awesome. I’ll be able to start in June. I have to take my boyfriend to meet my parents at the end of May.”

“Good luck with that. The room will be waiting for you.”


	26. Chapter 26

When Norman mentioned his mom and sister wanted to meet his boyfriend, Dipper had assumed that would be a next Christmas kind of thing. Norman certainly acted like being around his dad was going to be a one time per year occurrence at most, yet here they were driving away from the Boston airport in a rented Subaru. Norman told Dipper about the city in a monotone voice that barely resonated over the radio. Norman’s niece Tiffany was turning five on Monday and had told her mom that her only wish was for her Uncle Norman to be at her party. She also requested that he bring his boyfriend. At first, Norman had pushed back, but the plans were made months in advance, and he didn’t have a good enough reason not to go. Dipper let his boyfriend parse out his thoughts without much comment. He wanted to meet his family, primarily his mom, sister, and niece. He also wanted a chance to meet his old friends in person. But, Perry Babcock loomed above Norman like his own personal thunderstorm.

Norman ultimately decided to go. He told Dipper that he didn’t have to come, but there was no way Dipper was going to let him fly to Boston by himself. The deal was that they would spend four days in the city--flying in on Friday afternoon and leaving Monday evening. They would stay at a hotel and spend only the necessary amount of time at Norman’s parents’ house for lunch on Saturday. “If he says anything to you,” Norman shook his head, grip tight around the wheel.

“Everything will be fine, Norm. I promise. We only have to be there as long as you’re comfortable. We can leave before we eat if we have to.” Dipper knew there was nothing he could say to ease Norman’s worries; honestly he was nervous too, But, it wasn’t like they were stuck at the house.

Norman rang the doorbell; his body positioned to partially block Dipper from the door. A pleasant looking woman answered the door. The smile she leveled at Norman was full of adoration and love. Dipper could imagine the woman helping a seven year old Norman wash zombie paint off his face. Norman hugged her willingly. “Mom this is my boyfriend Dipper.”

“It’s so nice to meet you.” Hugging her was a lot like hugging Norman. He was pretty convinced he could feel every bone in her body. When Dipper was released, he looked up to find a large man leant against the railing leading to the second floor. Perry Babcock looked uncomfortable with both of his hands stuffed in his front pockets. “Dipper, this is my husband Perry.” Norman didn’t make a move to greet his father, but Dipper took a step forward, reaching his hand out. He was a little surprised when Perry shook his hand. “Come have a seat. The chicken should be done in a little bit.”

A baseball game was playing on the TV. Perry sat in the seat as far away from the loveseat Dipper occupied. Norman left to find them drinks, and Dipper assumed the two men would sit in uncomfortable silence, but Perry turned the volume of the television down and made a quick glance at Dipper. “So, you uh teach?”

“Yeah. I teach history.”

“How long have you been doing that?” 

“Five or six years, I think. I kind of stopped counting once it became clear that I would be at Gravity Falls for a while.” Perry let out a rush of air out of his nose in response to Dipper’s playful comment. Dipper decided to take that as a form of laughter. What was technically a conversation froze as Norman came into the living room. He passed Dipper a beer then plopped onto the loveseat, an arm immediately reaching out to lay across the back of the couch. Norman and Perry didn’t quite glare at each other, but it definitely felt like whoever back down first was submitting to something. Dipper decided to just stare at the TV and gently rub his hand over Norman’s knee. “Did you tell your parents about being hired at the shop?”

“I texted my mom.” Norman grumbled.

“He did.” Sandra piped up. “I knew he would get it. Norman always worked hard to get what he wanted. He’s also such a great artist. Has been since he was a kid.” Dipper smiled at Norman, whose face remained impassive although the tips of his ears were red. 

“It’s a great opportunity, and I think it will give Norman some room to grow. The shop is really nice, too.”

“I only went into the one here once. I think I had to drop something off while I was out running errands.”

“She was worried I wasn’t eating enough and dropped off two bags full of groceries.” Norman muttered. “That sweet girl, Aggie, almost managed to convince me to get a tattoo.”

Perry didn’t say anything else to Dipper or Norman for the rest of the meal. Sandra moved into standard meet the boyfriend questions. Her general kindness and good will lowered some of the tension that ozzed between father and son. By the time the two left, two hours later than they had planned to stay, Dipper thought he had started to figure out Perry a little bit. Perry and Norman were both fairly prideful people and stubborn. Perry didn’t seem resentful of Norman nor disappointed. He looked awkward, like there was stuff he wanted to say, but didn’t know how to say it. His pride prevented him from admitting he was wrong and being vulnerable with his son. If both of them could get over that, they may be able to make some progress. Dipper became a little hopeful when Perry pulled his son aside before they drove off. Dipper sat in the passenger seat watching the duo stand next to each other, looking in the same direction out towards the road. The conversation lasted maybe a couple minutes before Perry lifted a hand and gave Norman a firm pat on the back. Norman didn’t say anything when he got in the car, just reversed out of the driveway and drove back towards downtown Boston.

\---------

On Sunday Norman took Dipper on a tour of the city. They ditched the car in a random overnight lot and walked. Dipper had visited a few large cities. His family had gone to New York when he and his sister were in high school. They’d made a few trips to Seattle and Portland; although they tended to stay local with their trips. The tour included elements not given on the tour buses. Norman pointed out the streets most frequented by sex workers, bars he and his friends had been kicked out of, office buildings he’d peed on, and convenience stores he had visited while under the influence of drugs.Dipper had learned quite a bit about Boston during his American History studies and shared his more academic facts. They ate sandwiches in Boston common and chatted quietly. Listening to Norman talk about the city, included a lot of contradictions. He talked about how much the city sucked before turning around and talking about how it’s one of the best cities to live in. He dismissed the idea of moving back but could also spend half an hour reminiscing. He was both sentimental and dispassionate at the same time. 

The restaurant they were planning to meet Agatha and Mitch at was an hour walk back towards where they parked. It was a small local place with ‘cheap but amazing’ lobster rolls. Norman and Dipper grabbed a table and ordered appetizers. Agatha and Mitch arrived minutes later. Mitch was larger than Dipper had anticipated, both height and muscle wize, and Aggie, he was corrected, was even more intimidating. “Don’t take this the wrong way. But, how the fuck did you get him to settle down?” Aggie spoke around a bite of pretzel, barreling over Norman’s protests. “There were days we wondered if Norman had slept in late or had been murdered by some guy. We haven’t really had a big name serial killer in Boston since Albert DeSalvo, but you never know when one could pop up.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Aggie. Could you make me sound anymore like a slut?”

“There’s nothing wrong with being a slut. Everyone needs something to do to blow off steam.” Dipper coughed. His face was hot from embarrassment. “Norman honestly didn’t sleep around that much. What really got him was any offer of free drugs.”

Dipper shot Norman an unimpressed look. He had talked about his reckless behavior but had always down played it. “There’s a reason I was the best at scaring kids away from drugs.” Norman patted Dipper’s thigh. “I never did anything involving needles or anything super hard. I stayed away from that shit after my friend Zesty almost died in high school after he smoked weed laced with meth. Besides, if Mitch had caught me with Heroin, he would have thrown my ass to the curb. It never made me miss work, and I still paid my bills on time.” Dipper shook his head with a fond smile. He had knowingly been around drugs once in his life. It was a college party, one of the only ones he ever went to; he had fled as soon as the guy took out rolling papers and a grinder.

“All I’m saying,” Aggie pulled the conversation back to the point she was originally starting to make, “is that everyone kind of assumed Norman was going to die young and single. Even his long term relationships were sketchy at the best of times. He’s really lucky to have found you, and if he’s not treating you like the treasure you are, you have my permission to beat his ass.”

Dipper chuckled. He had accepted the fact that he was going to be burning with embarrassment for the duration of the meal. “I’m not worried. He honestly spoils me most of the time.”

“Good.” She pointed an accusing finger at Norman. “He better keep it up.”

“Ags, leave them alone. I’m sure they wouldn’t be living together, if Norman was being a piece of shit.” Mitch interjected. “Besides, you’re barely doing better than Norman.”

Norman and Dipper left the bar after the sun had set. They stopped at an ice cream shop for dessert. “I hope the stuff Aggie was talking about didn’t bother you too much.” Norman fidgeted with his spoon. “I went a little overboard for a few years, but really backed off the last few years. I know I probably should have told you the truth earlier, but--”

“Are you clean now?”

“Yeah, haven’t even smoked since I’ve been here.”

“Then, you have nothing to worry about. Although, if you have any outstanding warrants, I would like to know now.”

“No warrants. I’ve never even been arrested. Scolded but never arrested.”

\-------

Monday brought Dipper to a five year old girl’s birthday party. Courtney and Derek had both taken the day off of work to supervise the Mario themed birthday party. It mostly consisted of breaking up minor squabbles and making sure nobody busted their head open on the swing set. The nice part about five year olds was that they entertained themselves. Norman was called into action a couple of times to play Bowser the evil princess-napper. Dipper grinned from his seat near the grill as his boyfriend was pelted by red fire wiffle balls. 

“Tiffany was close to tears when I told her Norman might not be able to make it.” Courtney took what used to be Norman’s chair. Her blonde hair was looking a little frazzled, and she had a lemonade spiked with a little bit of tequila. “She only remembers meeting him once, but she’s obsessed. No idea why.”

“It’s ‘cause he looks weird.” Dipper concluded. “Kids are either terrified of him or in love with him. The same thing happened at parent-teacher conferences. This one boy would bawl anytime he got within three feet.”

“That’s actually really funny.” Courtney watched with a small smile. “He’s doing okay, right? It’s hard to tell if he’s taking care of himself or not.”

“He’s doing well. I think. He hasn’t said anything.” Dipper watched Norman dramatically fall to his knees for his fourth death of the evening. “He wasn’t thrilled to come back to Boston. Although, it was a harder decision back in December.”

“I was surprised he came, especially when my mom begged him to stay at the house. Norman’s also always had mixed feelings about Boston. The culture is very traditional when it comes to masculinity and femininity.”

“I noticed.”

“Part of me wishes he could have found happiness a little closer to home, but I also know that would have been impossible. He needed to completely get away. Go somewhere where nobody knew his name. I mean he knew Neil, but--”

“I get what you mean.” Norman worked on extracting himself from a pile of over-excited children. Dipper watched him gesture that he was too old and was tired. “Being here definitely weighs on him, but I’ve also seen some promise between him and your dad.”

“This was the first time they’ve been together without even an argument breaking out. I know my mom talked to my dad about trying to get along.”

“I may have said something similar.” Dipper grunted as Norman dropped into his lap. The lawn chair he was sitting on popped suspiciously but didn’t collapse.

“Talking about me?”

“Yep. Never knew you moonlighted as Bowser.”

“Only for my favorite niece in the world.” Norman scooped his drink from where he tucked it away for protection. “I feel like she’s grown since December.”

“She has. Kids do that.” Courtney sassed. “I don’t know if you remember, but there was a time you were shorter than me.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Dipper laughed as Courtney scolded her brother for using foul language. “Whatever, she’ll learn those words eventually. I think I said shit for the first time in fourth grade.”

“I don’t care. And, your first swear word was actually hell. You told a kid on your second grade soccer team that he was going to hell because he stole the ball from you. I thought dad was going to beat your ass.”

“He probably did.” Norman checked his watch. “It’s almost two, we’re going to need to head out soon.Getting through security in Boston is always a shit show.” Norman stood up, calling Tiffany over. “We gotta’ head out.” Tiffany whined. “I know. If it was my choice, I’d pack you up in my suitcase and take you with us. But, you have summer school starting soon, and your mom said you're taking a really cool sign language class. You don’t want to miss that.” Tiffany squeezed Norman as hard as she could. “Be good for your mom. I’ll be back before you know it.”

**Author's Note:**

> I took some liberties with the dynamics between the teachers. I was a TA for my English teacher my senior year of high school, and I TA'ed for the English department at my college during my Sophomore year. In real life, teachers tend to stick within their own departments and talk very little with teachers in other departments, or they only talk to the people in rooms around them. There is tons of drama, that they try to keep from students, but it's only a slightly better shit show than being an actual student.


End file.
